At the helm of the African Union Commission (L-R) Commissioners Bankole Adeoye, Albert Muchanga and Amani Abu Zeid; AUC Chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat; AU Chairperson President Felix Tshisekedi: Deputy Chairperson Monique Nsanzabaganwa; Commissioners Josefa Sacko, Sarah Agbor and Amira ElFadil Mohammed
Moussa Faki Re-Elected As Chairperson & Dr Monique Nsanzabaganwa Elected As 1st Female Deputy Chairperson Of The Au Commission
The 12th Extraordinary summit of the African Union which was held in Niamey on the 7th of July 2019 was a momentous occasion for Africa, as it saw the successful launching of the operational phase of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). The AfCFTA agreement was adopted and opened for signature on 21 March 2018 in Kigali and entered into force on 30 May 2019.
Following the expiry of the term of office of the 2017-2020 Commission of the African Union, the Union’s Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union appointed a new Commission at its 6-7 February virtual meeting. The new Commission will be in office from 2021-2024. The elections marked one of the major milestones in the implementation of the ongoing institutional transformation programme of the AU. Starting from this year, the Commission will have a leaner top leadership of 8 people, consisting of the Chairperson, the Deputy Chairperson and six Commissioners, instead of the previous eight Commissioners. The changes are meant to improve service delivery.
At the head of the Commission is Mr Moussa Faki Mahamat (Male, Chad, Central Region) from the Republic of Chad who was resoundingly re- elected by 51 of the 55 member states. The Chairperson of the Commission is the Chief Executive Officer, legal representative of the AU and the Commission’s Chief Accounting Officer.
Dr. Monique Nsanzabaganwa (Female, Rwanda, Eastern Region) was elected as the Commission’s Deputy Chairperson, becoming the first woman to occupy the post. She took over from Ambassador Kwesi Quartey of Ghana, and beat two other female candidates who were vying for the post. Under the authority of the Chairperson, the Deputy Chairperson of the African Union Commission is responsible for administration and finance.
On the same day, and as per the mandate given to it by the Assembly, the Union’s Executive Council elected 4 out of the 6 Commissioners of the AUC. The newly elected officials and their portfolios are:
- Ms. Josefa Sacko (Female, Angola, Southern Region), re-elected: Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy and Sustainable Environment
- Amb. Albert Muchanga (Male, Zambia, Southern Region) re-elected: Economic Development, Trade, Industry and Mining
- Dr. Amani Abou-Zeid (Female, Egypt, Northern Region) re-elected: Infrastructure and Energy
- Amb. Bankole Adeoye (Male, Nigeria, Western Region): Political Affairs, Peace and Security
Elections for two Commissioners were postponed to the next meeting of the Executive Council in July this year. Under the African Union rules, regions that provide the Chairperson and Deputy Chairperson may not also take up Commissioner positions. As such, in the new structure, the Central and Eastern Regions have their full quota because of the Chairperson and Deputy Chairperson. The Southern Region has its full quota of two Commissioners, one male and one female.
Therefore, the two Commissioner posts that were postponed to the next meeting of the Executive Council will be filled by candidates from the Northern and Western Regions, which currently have one Commissioner each. They will be for the Commissioner of Health, Humanitarian Affairs and Social Development, and the Commissioner for Education, Science, Technology and Innovation. In the meantime Commissioner Mrs. Amira Elfadil Mohammed (Sudan) and Prof. Sarah Agbor (Cameroon) respectively, will continue to serve in their current positions until the elections are conducted.
