The newly elected chairperson of the Africa Union Commission Mahmoud Ali Youssouf (C) smiles after election results during the 38th African Union (AU) Summit, at the AU Headquarters in Addis Ababa on February 15, 2025. To take the Continent out of the gully of war and instability and into the glory of peace and security will be a daunting task for Youssouf, says the writer. Picture: AFP
Kim Heller
“Africa is brimming with hope and possibility”, the Secretary General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres, said during his address at the 38th African Union Summit held in Ethiopia, on 15-16 February 2025.
While the Continent holds great promise, it is currently burdened and weighted down by the brutal legacy of colonialism and imperialistic plunder, as well as decades of post-independence war and conflict. For now, Africa is brimming with crisis and catastrophe and is on the brink of disaster.
The African Union’s theme for 2025 is "Justice for Africans and People of African Descent Through Reparations”. In his address, Guterres reflected on how the “colossal and compounded injustices” of colonialism and the trans-Atlantic slave trade continue to negatively impact “Africans and people of African descent to this day.” He stressed the need to correct these historical injustices, accelerate peace and security efforts and ease the “appalling levels of human suffering” in Africa.”
A rally call for reparations is overdue. It is a necessary part of an overall redemption strategy for the Continent. Colonialism left the Continent in pieces, not peace. The centuries-long plunder of Africa is responsible for much of the poverty, conflict and lack of stability and sovereignty in Africa today.
For the new Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, and his deputy, Selma Malika Haddadi, the next four years at the helm of the organisation will be no easy ride.
To take the Continent out of the gully of war and instability and into the glory of peace and security will be a daunting task for the duo of Youssouf and Haddadi.
The Continent is a hotbed of conflict. Sudan continues to be paralysed by war and its brutal aftershocks. The destiny of the DRC remains uncertain. In the Sahel, terrorism continues to shatter prospects for prosperity. The Horn of Africa remains unsteady. Somalia is battling to recover after years of deadly and ruinous conflict.
During his address, Guterres pointed particularly to the current crisis in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and the risk of regional escalation. He stressed the need for swift implementation, and reiterated the support of the United Nations, in the pursuit of lasting peace. He said, “We stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the African Union to advance security, stability, human rights and the rule of law”.
While the UN is currently engaged in several efforts to silence the guns across the continent, stabilise key affected regions and countries, and provide much-needed humanitarian aid, it needs to embolden its voice on banning weapon sales to Africa. This should be done in concert with the AU.
In an opinion piece, published on Aljazeera, on 17 February 2025, former President of Ethiopia, Mulatu Teshome Wirtu, wrote, “If the Horn descends into chaos, the ripple effects will be felt everywhere. But if peace takes root, the region could become a bridge – linking continents, fostering trade, and unlocking potential. The choice is stark, and the time to act is now.”
Africa’s destiny will be shaped by the new Chairperson and deputy chairperson of the AU Commission. Both Youssouf, the former Foreign Minister and International Cooperation of Djibouti, and Haddadi, the Algerian ambassador to Ethiopia, have been lauded for their diplomatic acumen and experience.
Writing in Modern Diplomacy, on 15 February, former Deputy Director of Somalia National Intelligence & Security Agency (NISA) in Somalia, Ismail D. Osman, describes the appointment of Mohamed Ali Yousef as a historic moment for the Horn of Africa and the broader East African region. He writes, “Mohamed Ali Yousef is a well-known diplomat and leader. He has played a big role in regional affairs for many years…His leadership comes at a time when Africa faces many challenges, and people hope he will help find solutions”.
Osman expresses confidence in Yousef’s ability to encourage dialogue between rival groups, support peace agreements, and drive stronger regional cooperation. “If he succeeds, his time as AU Chairperson could mark the beginning of a stronger and more united Africa,” Osman writes.
During his campaign for the top spot in the African Union Commission, Youssouf promised to prioritise peace and security. His diplomacy and clear preference for dialogue over military solutions may help in mediating conflicts and uniting leaders around a common purpose. The same is true for Haddadi, a seasoned diplomat who has participated in high-level negotiations with regional, continental and international parties.
In an article published by African Arguments on 15 February 2025, Koffi Sawyer, a researcher and consultant who has worked with both the UN and the Commonwealth, wrote, “As was the case at the turn of the last century, several hot conflicts are raging across the continent at the quarter-century mark”.
Sawyer stresses that the African Union's strategy to silence the gun and resolve “Africa’s complex emergencies and profound developmental challenges” is not a linear process. It will require a “strategic balance between both regional and continental agencies”, clear and well-defined relationships with regional, continental and international bodies, and a strengthened strategic framework for conflict resolution.
“A workable framework should fully integrate key modalities such as leverage, linkage, trust, competencies and comparative advantage, amidst Africa’s increasingly complex, transnational and transregional human security challenges. This is particularly urgent for the incoming leadership of the African Union Commission, especially at a time when the West appears increasingly inward-looking and disinterested in Africa’s conflicts’ he writes.
Amnesty International has said “The new chairperson will join the AU at a watershed moment, inheriting an in-tray full of deepening human rights crises across the continent. The new chairperson will need to be swift and effective in their response, leveraging the full array of statutory powers at their disposal to exert pressure on parties to conflicts to comply with international humanitarian law and international human rights law.”
President Cyril Ramaphosa has expressed his satisfaction with the outcome of the African Union’s 38th ordinary session of heads of state and government. "We are consolidating the African Union to ensure that it continues to unite the continent.”
A total redemption strategy is required for Africa. One that is eagle-eyed on remedying both historical and current challenges, and which is purposefully geared towards national, regional and Continental recovery, repair, and rejuvenation. The AU should be at the forefront of turning the tide and ensuring that leaders across Africa do not thwart peace and security. The success of the new AU leadership will be determined by their ability to transform the African Union into a far more agile and ever-ready powerhouse for peace, security, and prosperity.
* Kim Heller is a Political analyst and author of No White Lies: Black Politics and White Power in South Africa.
** The views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of The African.