{"id":52313,"date":"2024-12-18T06:57:36","date_gmt":"2024-12-18T06:57:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/candidates-for-auc-chairperson-present-visions-amid-call-for-enhancing-au-s\/"},"modified":"2024-12-18T06:57:15","modified_gmt":"2024-12-18T06:57:15","slug":"candidates-for-auc-chairperson-present-visions-amid-call-for-enhancing-au-s","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/candidates-for-auc-chairperson-present-visions-amid-call-for-enhancing-au-s\/","title":{"rendered":"Candidates for AUC chairperson present visions amid call for enhancing AU\u2019s role in Africa\u2019s development"},"content":{"rendered":"

In line with the upcoming election of the next AUC chairperson for the 2025-2028 period, which is slated to take place in February 2025 during the AU Summit, the three candidates, Djibouti\u2019s Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Minister Mahamoud Ali Youssouf, Kenya\u2019s former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, and Madagascar\u2019s former Foreign Affairs Minister Richard Randriamandrato, took part in a live debate recently.<\/p>\n

During the televised debate broadcast live, the three candidates elaborated on their vision and strategies for implementing the Agenda 2063, the AU\u2019s 50-year continental development blueprint, and driving Africa\u2019s transformative vision for a prosperous, united, and peaceful Africa.<\/p>\n

In his address, Youssouf underscored that strengthening the AU\u2019s Peace and Security Council into a more proactive organ, operationalizing the African Standby Force, mobilizing resources to ensure stable financing of the union, boosting intra-African trade, and promoting the free movement of goods and people across Africa are among his major priorities if elected.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe place of Africa on the international stage will be one of my priorities. The Africa that we want is the Africa of peace, integration and prosperity. If I\u2019m given the chance of being the chairperson of the commission, I will do my best to make sure that our continent shines on the international stage,\u201d Youssouf said.<\/p>\n

The three candidates stressed their resolve to advance the transformative role of the AU in addressing Africa\u2019s existing and emerging development and security challenges.<\/p>\n

According to the AU, the February 2025 election process will be based on the principle of inter-regional rotation of the commission\u2019s senior leadership positions. The Eastern Africa region will submit candidates for the role of chairperson, while the Northern Africa region will submit candidates for the role of deputy chairperson. <\/p>\n

The remaining three regions (Central, Southern and Western Africa regions) will submit at least two candidates for the six portfolios of commissioners.<\/p>\n

Odinga, on his part, underscored his conviction to strive for the realization of the founding fathers\u2019 vision for a united Africa in the creation of the Organization of African Unity, the predecessor of the AU, in 1963.<\/p>\n

Describing himself as an ardent \u201cPan-Africanist and optimist,\u201d Odinga promised to advance the continent\u2019s progress through the promotion of quality education, health, value-addition, intra-African trade, and infrastructure development, among others.<\/p>\n

\u201cAfrica is moving forward, but there is work to do, and I have what it takes to get us where we want to go. What remains now is action, and what I want to promise to the African people is that I\u2019m going to lead from the front to ensure that we achieve the vision of the founding fathers of our continent,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Outlining his priorities, Randriamandrato highlighted the need to harness Africa\u2019s robust potential to drive holistic economic development. He affirmed his commitment to augmenting the 55-member continental organization\u2019s role in facilitating continental socioeconomic development if elected.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have our own house, the African Union, and there is an Africa, which is dynamic and moving forward. I am here before you today because I think it is indispensable, and it is a must to have the quality, competence and conviction (to lead the AU). I think that I have those qualities,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

In February 2024, a Panel of Eminent Africans, composed of five personalities \u2014 one per region \u2014 was appointed to oversee the pre-selection of candidates for the eight positions.<\/p>\n

According to the AU, the televised debate allows African citizens and other stakeholders to put forward questions to the candidates on how to propel the continent\u2019s growth and ensure that Africa achieves its goals for integrated and sustainable development and becomes a major player in the global arena.<\/p>\n

Experts have underscored the crucial need to advance the transformative role of the AU in addressing Africa\u2019s existing and emerging development and security challenges.<\/p>\n

Moussa Faki Mahamat, current AUC chairperson, who African leaders elected to lead the Pan-African bloc in January 2017 during the 28th AU Summit, is fast approaching an end to his second-term tenure at the helm of the AU Commission.<\/p>\n

\"Djibouti\u2019s<\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

As the African Union Commission (AUC) embarks on the election process of its senior leadership, the three candidates vying for the AUC chairperson position have announced their priorities for advancing the union\u2019s aspirations for an integrated, united and prosperous Africa.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":135,"featured_media":2000078985,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[75],"byline":[235],"hashtag":[],"class_list":["post-52313","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-homenews","byline-xinhua"],"bylines":[{"id":235,"name":"Xinhua","slug":"xinhua","description":"","image":{"id":0,"url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/?s=96&d=mm&f=y&r=g","alt":"Default avatar","title":"Default avatar","caption":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","sizes":[]},"user_id":80}],"contributors":[{"id":235,"name":"Xinhua","slug":"xinhua","description":"","image":{"id":0,"url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/?s=96&d=mm&f=y&r=g","alt":"Default avatar","title":"Default avatar","caption":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","sizes":[]},"user_id":80}],"featured_image":{"id":2000078985,"url":"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/IMG\/logo\/profile-157.jpg","alt":"","caption":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","width":0,"height":0,"sizes":{"thumbnail":{"url":"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/IMG\/logo\/profile-157.jpg","width":1,"height":1},"medium":{"url":"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/IMG\/logo\/profile-157.jpg","width":1,"height":1},"medium_large":{"url":"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/IMG\/logo\/profile-157.jpg","width":1,"height":1},"large":{"url":"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/IMG\/logo\/profile-157.jpg","width":1,"height":1},"full":{"url":"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/IMG\/logo\/profile-157.jpg","width":0,"height":0}}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/52313","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/135"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=52313"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/52313\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2000078985"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=52313"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=52313"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=52313"},{"taxonomy":"byline","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/byline?post=52313"},{"taxonomy":"hashtag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/hashtag?post=52313"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}