Past chairpersons of the African Union Commission

By Peter Ochieng

Opposition leader Raila Odinga is actively in the race to become the next African Union Commission (AUC), headquartered in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

With elections scheduled for February 2025, Odinga stands a chance of becoming the first person from the East African region to occupy the chance.

The former Kenyan Prime Minister is vying against Mahamoud Ali Youssou of Djibouti, and Madagascar’s Richard Randriamandrato.

The Chairperson of the African Union Commission is the Chief Executive Officer, legal representative of the AU and the Commission’s Chief Accounting Officer.

The Chairperson of the Commission is elected by the Assembly for a four-year term, renewable once.

His or her functions include overall responsibility for the Commission’s administration and finances; Promoting and popularizing the AU’s objectives and enhancing its performance; consulting and coordinating with key stakeholders like Member States, Development Partners and appointing and managing Commission staff among others.

February’s elections will produce the fifth AUC chairperson. Here is a list of the past occupiers of the office:

1. Alpha Oumar Konaré, Mali

He served as the first AUC chairman, from 2003 to 2008.

Before being elected AUC chairman, the Malian politician, professor, historian and archaeologist served as President of Mali for two five-year terms, from 1992 to 2002.

2. Jean Ping, Gabon

Konare passed the baton to Jean Ping in 2008.

The Gabonese served for a four-year term, until 2012.

Born to a Chinese father and Gabonese mother, he was the first individual of Chinese descent to lead the executive branch of the African Union.

The diplomat cum politician served as the Minister of State and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Cooperation and Francophonie of the Gabonese Republic from 1999 to 2008.

Ping was President of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) from 2004 to 2005.

He vied for the 2016 Gabonese presidential election, and lost against president Ali Bongo.

3. Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, South Africa

The only woman to have occupied the position so far.

She was in office from 2012 to 2017.

In January 2012, while still heading South Africa’s Ministry of Home Affairs, Dlamini-Zuma contested the position of Chairperson of the African Union Commission.

She broke an "unwritten rule" that major African powers do not put forward candidates for AU positions.  The move angered many AU states, leading to a deadlock in the first election.

As a consequence of the failure to secure a two-thirds majority of the vote, incumbent Jean Ping's term was extended by six months, until a second election on 15 July, where Dlamini-Zuma was elected chairperson and served until 30 January 2017.

4. Moussa Faki Mahamat, Chad

He is the outgoing AUC chairman.

He was elected in 2017, and will leave office upon the election of his successor in February 2025, after seeing off his two-four-year terms.

The Chadian lawyer, diplomat and politician speaks French, Arabic and English fluently.

He served as the director of the Civil Cabinet of the President of the Republic and Prime Minister among other high-ranking positions in Chad, before landing the AUC post.