João Lourenço, the president of Angola, has taken over as chairperson of the African Union (AU), replacing Mohamed Cheikh El Ghazouani of Mauritania, who had done so since February of last year.
According to AU rules, Lourenço will hold office for a term of one year. Burundi, Ghana, and Tanzania will take over as the first, second, and third vice chairs, respectively.
This year, Mauritania will be the rapporteur.
Africa’s five geographical areas alternate in holding the position of AU chairperson, and Angola is the first to do so.
Lourenço assumes leadership in the face of an ambitious development program and urgent peace and security issues throughout the continent.
Infrastructure, such as ports, railroads, and airports, will be given first priority. In his acceptance speech at the AU Assembly of Heads of State and Government in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on Saturday, February 15, he stated, “We will also improve power supply and address key issues affecting the living conditions of our people.”
Lourenço pledged to address terrorism, conflicts, climate change, and disease outbreaks like Marburg, Ebola, and cholera while urging member states to work together.
“Justice for Africans and People of African Descent through Reparations” is this year’s AU theme.
The Differences
The chairmanships of the African Union Commission (AUC) and the African Union (AU) are different positions.
The Assembly of Heads of State and Government elects the current Head of State to serve as the AU chairperson for a one-year term.
Every year, the role alternates between the five African regions.
The first African Union chairperson was former South African President Thabo Mbeki in 2002. Since then, East, North, Southern, Central, and West Africa have taken turns serving as chairman.
The chairperson of the AU is responsible for chairing the biannual AU Assembly meetings and representing the continent in international fora like the G7 and G20 summits. The position also entails mediating African crises.
In contrast, the AU Assembly elects the chairperson of the AUC, who holds office for a four-year term that can be renewed.
The Commission, which serves as the AU’s secretariat and is in charge of helping member states carry out AU programs and providing operational support to AU organs, is led by the chairman of the AUC.
Raila Odinga is the first candidate Kenya is putting forth for the position of AUC chairperson.
