Race for African Union Chairperson: Meet the candidates vying against Raila

Other than Raila Odinga, Kenya’s candidate for the African Union Commission chairpersonship, the race has attracted candidates from Djibouti, Mauritania, and Madagascar, all seeking to succeed Moussa Faki Mahamat, whose eight-year term expires in February 2025.

Like Ambassador Amina Mohamed, Kenya’s candidate in 2017, Odinga faces stiff competition from the trio representing Djibouti, Mauritius, and Madagascar, whose impressive careers may present a significant challenge for him and Kenya.

Odinga's bid for the continental position will involve intense diplomatic manoeuvring in a landscape filled with geopolitical complexities, which he is keenly aware of, particularly in light of Ambassador Amina Mohamed’s unsuccessful campaign in 2017.

The former Prime Minister is competing against three other candidates whose credentials could inform Kenya's campaign across the continent. These candidates are Djibouti’s top diplomat Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, former Mauritanian Foreign Affairs Minister Anil Gayan, and Madagascar’s former Foreign Affairs Minister James Randriamandrato.

Djibouti's Youssouf, a career civil servant, has 19 years of experience as Foreign Affairs Minister. He speaks fluent Somali, English, French, and Arabic, making him appealing to both Francophone and Anglophone African countries, as well as Arab nations in North Africa.

Anil Gayan from Mauritania, a Senior Counsel and a member of the Bar in both Mauritius and England and Wales, boasts over 40 years of experience in international diplomacy, governance, and legal affairs. He has held significant portfolios, including Foreign Affairs, Tourism, and Health, and represented Mauritius at the United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), where he contributed to the development and adoption of the Convention.

Madagascar’s James Randriamandrato, endorsed by President Andry Rajoelina, served as his country’s Foreign Affairs Minister for seven months before his dismissal in October 2022, following his vote in favor of a UN resolution condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. His government accused him of violating its stance of neutrality. Prior to that, Randriamandrato served as Finance Minister from 2019 to 2021.

The elections, scheduled for February 2025, will be preceded by the #MjadalaAfrika debate, which will be televised live from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The election process will follow the principle of inter-regional rotation, which dictates that the Eastern region submits both male and female candidates for the role of Chairperson. The Northern region will submit both male and female candidates for the role of Deputy Chairperson, while the remaining three regions—Central, Southern, and Western—must submit at least two candidates: one male and one female for the six portfolios of commissioners.

The Assembly of Heads of State and Government will elect the Chairperson and Deputy Chairperson.

It is a roadmap filled with diplomatic uncertainties, and Odinga, with the support of his biggest backer, President William Ruto, hopes to achieve what Kenya’s candidate, Ambassador Amina Mohamed, could not in 2017. He has slightly more than 80 days before the elections.