The election of the Africa Union Commission (AUC) senior leadership including the next AUC chairperson for the 2025-2028 period will be a major development at the 38th AU summit, from February 15 to 16, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, officials have said.
The summit will be held under the theme “Building a United Front to Advance the Cause of Justice and the Payment” as African leaders look to pursue justice and equity for all “people of African descent.” As part of the summit, the AU Executive Council meeting, comprising foreign ministers from member states, is scheduled from February 12 through 13, followed by the two-day assembly of African heads of state and government starting on February 15.
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The elections of the AUC senior leadership will be conducted during the Executive Council and assembly sessions, according to a communique issued by the organizers. All the eight senior leadership positions of the AUC are open for candidates, guided by the regional allocation of the portfolios. The positions include the AUC chairperson, the deputy chairperson, and six commissioner posts.
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In January, the three candidates vying for the AUC chairperson position, Djibouti’s Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Minister, Mahamoud Ali Youssouf, Kenya’s former Prime Minister, Raila Odinga, and Madagascar’s former Foreign Affairs Minister, Richard Randriamandrato, announced their priorities for advancing the Union’s aspirations for an integrated, united and prosperous Africa.
By design, the next top executive of the AU must come from the East African region which has not produced one ever since the Union was reformed in 2002, which is why all the candidates in the race are from this sub-region.
Beyond the high stakes, Kenyan veteran politician Raila Odinga who recently laid out his eight-key priorities agenda, said he was banking on regional support, particularly from East African Community (EAC) Heads of State. Odinga’s agenda includes economic transformation, enhancing intra-African trade, Africa’s financial independence, championing gender equality, climate action, peace and security, agriculture transformation, and continental integration.
Reparations for Africans
According to the AU, with the continued pursuit of justice and equity, the conversation about reparations has emerged as a critical and transformative dialogue that requires the collective attention and action of Africans and all people of African descent.
The body maintained that reparatory justice for Africa can promote healing, equity, and recognition of the rights and contributions of African peoples when defied.
“It encompasses a range of initiatives aimed at addressing historical injustices stemming from colonization, slavery, and systemic discrimination,” the AU said in a statement.
The AU noted that the complexities of addressing past wrongs, whether they stem from colonialism, trans-Atlantic enslavement, apartheid, or systemic discrimination, necessitate a thorough examination and strategic approach.
“Having reparations for Africans and people of African descent offers the AU the opportunity to take leadership on the Africa Reparations Agenda,” the statement added.
“It will also help to bring together the African citizenry and the African diaspora to build a common and united front, for the cause of justice and payment of reparations to Africans for historical crimes, and mass atrocities committed against Africans and people of African descent, including colonization, apartheid, and genocide.”
