Mahmoud Ali Youssouf is a Djiboutian diplomat and the Chairperson-elect of the African Union Commission (AUC). The African Union Commission is the AU’s secretariat and undertakes the day to day activities of the Union. It is based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The 59-year-old career diplomat has been foreign minister of Djibouti since 2005, as the tiny Horn of Africa nation remains strategically located for Western powers.
He hails from Djibouti city where he was born on born 2 September 1965. Mahmoud Ali Youssouf got his basic education in Djibouti and later furthered his studies in linguistics, business, and management in Lyon, France, Liverpool, United Kingdom, and Laval, France. Additionally, he wrote his thesis at the Free University of Brussels in the 1990s.
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Mahmoud Ali Youssouf was previously Djibouti’s ambassador to Egypt and has also served as foreign minister in the governments of three presidents. Mahamoud speaks English, French and Arabic. He has served in the government of Djibouti as Minister of Foreign Affairs since 2005.
In April 2024, Mahmoud Ali Youssouf was nominated by Djibouti for the position of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission. On 15 February 2025, he won the elections in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia after seven rounds of voting.
The Commission is composed of a chairperson, deputy chairperson and six commissioners, plus staff. The Assembly elects the AUC Chairperson and AUC Deputy Chairperson. The Executive Council elects the six AUC Commissioners, who are appointed by the Assembly. Commission members’ terms are for four years, renewable once. Elections and terms are governed by the AU Assembly Rules of Procedure the Executive Council Rules of Procedure and the Commission Statutes.
According to AUC, the Chairperson of the Commission is the Chief Executive Officer, legal representative of the AU and the Commission’s Chief Accounting Officer. He or she is directly responsible to the Executive Council for the discharge of his or her duties. The Chairperson of the AUC is elected by the Assembly for a four-year term, renewable once. Election is by secret ballot and a two-thirds majority of Member States eligible to vote.
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