By PHIDEL KIZITO
Thursday May 16, 2024
Meriton will face Kenya’s Raila Odinga, Djibouti’s Mahmoud Ali Youssouf as well as Somalia’s Fawzia Yusuf Adam, a former Foreign Minister, in the race to succeed the incumbent, Moussa Faki, who has held the position since March 14, 2017.
Seychelles has endorsed its former Vice President Vincent Meriton for the continental post/FILE
The Island nation of Seychelles has joined the race for the Africa Union Commission (AUC) Chairperson slot making it the fourth nation from the Eastern Africa bloc to declare its candidacy after Kenya, Somalia and Djibouti.
Seychelles has endorsed its former Vice President Vincent Meriton for the continental post.
“The Foreign Affairs Department wishes to announce that the Government of Seychelles has endorsed the candidature of Mr. Vincent Meriton for the position of Chairperson of the African Union Commission (AUC) in the election scheduled to take place in February 2025,” the country’s Foreign Office said on Wednesday.
Seychelles exuded confidence in Merito’s capabilities having served as its Minister for Foreign Affairs, Health, Information Technology, the Blue Economy and Entrepreneurship Development.
Meriton will face Kenya’s Raila Odinga, Djibouti’s Mahmoud Ali Youssouf as well as Somalia’s Fawzia Yusuf Adam, a former Foreign Minister, in the race to succeed the incumbent, Moussa Faki, who has held the position since March 14, 2017.
The entry of Seychelles in the race further complicates President William Ruto’s efforts to secure regional backing for Odinga.
Kenya has secured the support of Uganda and Rwanda as it seeks endorsement as the regionally-backed candidate.
The African Union unanimously adopted the right of the Eastern Africa region to produce the next Chairperson of the African Union Commission on March 25.
The region includes Comoros, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Madagascar, Mauritius, South Sudan, Sudan and Tanzania.
The resolution was a culmination of institutional reforms initiated in November 2018 when the AU Assembly resolved to enhance the transparency and meritocracy of the leadership selection process, emphasizing principles such as equitable regional representation, gender parity, and attracting top talent from across Africa.