The heads of state and government of the African Union have elected Mauritania’s president, Mohamed Ghazouani, to lead the body as its new chairperson in 2024.
He was selected on Saturday at the 37th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the African Union Heads of State and Government in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Ghazouani takes over as leader of the AU from President Azali Assoumani of the Union of Comoros, who served as the chairperson of the organisation for 2023.
The bloc prevented a crisis on another front by defusing tensions surrounding the one-year rotating AU chairmanship, which was transferred on Saturday from President Azali Assoumani of Comoros to President Mohamed Ould Ghazouani of Mauritius.
A disagreement between Morocco and Algeria had long impeded the succession, underscoring internal conflict within the AU. There will be more difficulties ahead given that 19 presidential or general elections are planned for the continent this year.
“The AU has ambitious institutional commitments and tools for mediation and peacekeeping but lacks the political and financial strength to make the most of them,” the International Crisis Group said in a briefing note.
“Member states are retreating inward and closely guarding their sovereign prerogatives, instead of investing in collective security.” even as it aims to be heard more loudly on the international scene, particularly in the G20, which it joined in September.
A significant topic of conversation at the summit is anticipated to be how the African Union will shift from depending on foreign donors to financing the majority of its budget through African states.
A resolution to fund peace missions led by the African Union was approved by the UN Security Council in December, but it only allowed for a 75 percent budgetary cap.
