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| African Union Commission Chairperson | |
|---|---|
| Post | Chairperson |
| Body | African Union Commission |
| Incumbent | Moussa Faki |
| Incumbentsince | 14 March 2017 |
| Style | His/Her Excellency |
| Seat | Addis Ababa |
| Appointer | Assembly of the African Union |
| Termlength | Four years, renewable once |
| Formation | 2002 |
| First | Amara Essy |
African Union Commission Chairperson The Chairperson of the African Union Commission is the senior official who heads the administrative organ of the African Union and represents the Commission in relations with the United Nations, European Union, Economic Community of West African States, Southern African Development Community, and other regional bodies. The office succeeds the Organisation of African Unity secretariat leadership following the Sirte Declaration and the establishment of the African Union in 2002, combining diplomatic, managerial, and policy roles across the African Continental Free Trade Area, African Peer Review Mechanism, New Partnership for Africa's Development, and peace and security architecture including the African Standby Force. The Chairperson liaises with heads of state in the Assembly of the African Union, the African Union Commission Chairperson-adjacent organs, and multilateral partners.
The Chairperson manages the African Union Commission's day-to-day administration, represents the Commission before the Assembly of the African Union, coordinates with the African Union Peace and Security Council, the Pan-African Parliament, the African Court on Human and Peoples' Rights, and engages with governments such as Nigeria, South Africa, Ethiopia, Kenya, and Egypt. Responsibilities include overseeing Commission departments like political affairs, infrastructure, social affairs, trade and industry, and finance, and interacting with international entities such as the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, the United Nations Security Council, and the European Commission.
The Chairperson is elected by the Assembly of the African Union, which comprises the heads of state and government of member states including Algeria, Morocco, Côte d'Ivoire, Senegal, and Ghana. Candidates are typically nominated by member states and may include former ministers, diplomats, or commissioners who served in bodies like the African Development Bank, the Economic Commission for Africa, or national cabinets such as those of Chad, Cameroon, Burkina Faso, and Tunisia. The term is four years, renewable once, with procedural oversight by the Permanent Representatives Committee and confirmation at an ordinary or extraordinary summit of the Assembly of the African Union.
Within the AU framework, the Chairperson exercises administrative authority over Commission staff, implements decisions of the Assembly of the African Union and the Executive Council of the African Union, and directs policy implementation across initiatives like the Nouakchott Process, the Kigali Declaration, and the Malabo Declaration. The Chairperson negotiates with external partners including the European Union and China, supervises mediation efforts in conflicts such as in Sudan, Somalia, Libya, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and coordinates humanitarian response with agencies like UNICEF, UNHCR, and the World Food Programme.
The Chairperson leads the Commission along with Commissioners responsible for portfolios such as political affairs, peace and security, infrastructure, and humanitarian affairs, who hail from member states including Gabon, Mauritius, Rwanda, Uganda, and Botswana. The Secretariat operates from headquarters in Addis Ababa and works with regional economic communities like ECOWAS, EAC, IGAD, CEN-SAD, and with continental institutions such as the African Union Development Agency and the African Peer Review Mechanism secretariat. Administrative support includes the Commission's legal counsel, policy planning units, and liaison offices in capitals such as Pretoria, Abuja, Nairobi, and Cairo.
Notable officeholders have included Amara Essy, who served during the transition from the Organisation of African Unity; Alpha Oumar Konaré in AU constitutional discussions; Jean Ping; Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma; and Moussa Faki, the incumbent since 2017, who previously served as Prime Minister of Chad and Minister of Foreign Affairs (Chad). Other senior figures connected to continental leadership include Thabo Mbeki, Nana Akufo-Addo, Paul Kagame, and Omar al-Bashir through their interactions with AU organs.
Chairpersons have driven initiatives like the launch of the African Continental Free Trade Area negotiations, support for the African Union Mission in Somalia, advocacy for the Maputo Protocol, promotion of the African Union Agenda 2063, and campaigns against Ebola virus epidemic in West Africa and COVID-19 pandemic in Africa. The Commission has advanced continental infrastructure projects linked to the Programme for Infrastructure Development in Africa, financial reforms engaging the African Development Bank, and electoral observation missions alongside organizations like ECOWAS and the European Union Election Observation Mission.
The office has faced criticism over allegations of administrative mismanagement, budget shortfalls with partners such as the European Commission and the European Investment Bank, and disputes over impartiality in mediations involving leaders like Yoweri Museveni, Félix Tshisekedi, Alassane Ouattara, and Paul Kagame. Debates over headquarters privileges in Addis Ababa, procurement procedures, and the Commission's handling of human rights issues via the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights have drawn scrutiny from civil society groups, member states, and international observers including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch.