President Azali Assoumani of the Union of Comoros takes over as the new Chairperson of the African Union
22 February 2023
The Heads of State and Government of the African Union (AU) have elected Azali Assoumani, President of the Union of Comoros, as the new Chairperson of the African Union for the year 2023. The event took place ob 18 February 2023 during the official opening of the Thirty-Sixth (36th) Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the Union, at the AU Headquarters in Addis Ababa.
President Azali of Comoros takes over from Macky Sall, President of the Republic of Senegal, who has concluded his term as the Chairperson of the African Union for the year 2022. The symbolic ceremony took place in the presence of the Chairperson of the AU Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat, the Deputy Chairperson of the AUC, Dr. Monique Nsanzabaganwa, Secretary General of the United Nations (UN), representatives of the Regional Economic Commission, dignitaries and invited guests as well as the AU staff.
In his handing over speech, President Macky Sall, wished the new AU Chairperson, a successful Chairship and thanked the Heads of States of AU Member States as well as the AU outgoing bureau, for their support during the tenure of his mandate which he said, was marked by the prevailing sanitary crisis caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. President Sall highlighted some of the achievements under his chairship of the Union notably, the economic empowerment of women and youth, the enhancement of democracy and good governance, among other development programs under Agenda 2063.
The outgoing Chair of the Union thanked the AUC Chairperson, Moussa Faki Mahamat for his leadership and support, including all the members of the Commission. “Serving our continent has been a privilege and a great pride, because I believe in a united Africa, an Africa standing up, an Africa at work, an Africa in peace and confident in its future,” underlined President Macky Sall. “This has made me to be more determined and even more motivated, at the front of the fight for Africa, everywhere, for everything and all the time; because it is the responsibility conferred on us by the heritage of pan-Africanism, to realize the dream of the Founding Fathers and the aspirations of our peoples,” concluded President Sall.
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In his acceptance speech, President Azali Assoumani said he appreciates the honor coupled with the responsibility and the trust invested in his person, and the members of the new Bureau, to lead the destiny of the Organization for the next one year. “I thank you and assure you of our commitment to work together with all member countries in the exercise of our mandate,” indicated the incoming Chair of the Union. “I pay tribute to the Founding Fathers of the Organization. Six decades later, their luminous vision continues to inspire our living together and to illuminate our united march towards the ideal of African integration,” he added.
President Azali Assoumani thanked the members of the Bureau of the African Union who have just done a great honor to his country, the Union of the Comoros, by “entrusting in Comoros for the first time in its history, the destinies of our continental Organization.” He also thanked colleagues, brothers and sisters from the countries of East Africa for having supported his candidature and more particularly, “My Dear Brother, President William RUTO who had the elegance to withdraw the candidacy of his beautiful country, Kenya, for this position, which today allows the historic accession of the Union of the Comoros to this noble function. By allowing the Union of the Comoros to lead the African continent, our Organization has just proved to the world its conviction that all countries have the same rights and enjoy the same freedoms,” underscored the incoming Chair of the Union. “Thus, in succeeding, in this sacred place, to my brother President Macky SALL, as current President of the African Union, it is with the weight of the continental responsibility on my shoulders, that I intend to assume, as of today, the functions of President of the African Union, in this 36th Ordinary Session."
"It will not be easy to succeed him, but I will do my best to continue his work and, among other things, by favoring as he has always been able to do, dialogue, listening and gathering, essential conditions to make this mandate, that of the success of our Continent,” concluded the newly elected Chair of the Union.
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed of Ethiopia congratulated President Azali Assoumani, on his assumption of the Chair of the African Union and also congratulated President Macky Sall for his able leadership in steering the union at a very difficult time.
Speaking about the conflict in Ethiopia PM Abiy said, "When I stood before you last year on this same occasion, Ethiopia was just coming out of a costly conflict. This time, I am here to celebrate the signing on November 2nd 2022, of the Pretoria Peace Accord between the Ethiopian Government and the TPLF, which has led to the silencing of the guns in the Northern part of our country. Ethiopia is where it is today in no small part because of the tireless efforts of the African Union and the wisdom of its deeply-held belief in the principle of “African solutions to African problems”. One of the earliest and most powerful expressions of this principle comes from the opening statement delivered by His Imperial Majesty Haile Selassie in his address to the first Summit of the OAU in May 1963.
"His Imperial Majesty acknowledged that future disputes among African countries were only natural. But, he also advised that, when disputes arise, the effort to resolve them “must be confined to this continent and quarantined from the contamination of non-African interference.”
"Today, each time we assert and reassert the principle of African Solutions to African Problems, we are only applying the timeless wisdom of our forefathers for the resolution of contemporary challenges."
"At the heart of the principle of African Solutions to African Problems lies a belief in African solidarity, African agency and the equal dignity of all human beings. Here in Ethiopia, we do not just insist on the principle of African solutions for the resolution of our problems; we also present ourselves at the forefront in helping ourselves and our fellow African countries to resolve challenges."
Speaking about continental food security and food sovereignty he said that Africa is not only well able to feed itself, but can become a bread basket of the world. "With 65% of the world’s remaining uncultivated arable land in our backyards, we need to critically assess why one third of the hungry people in the world are in our continent."
Abiy said that in Ethiopia they have been working diligently to enhance agricultural productivity in the past four years. "We have commenced an initiative that encourages small-holder farmers to farm in clusters that enable them to benefit from irrigation and mechanization. Our laser focus on wheat productivity is bearing fruit. And our ambition to begin exporting wheat this year has already materialized. A great achievement for Ethiopia. An even greater achievement for our continent. Ethiopia is also undertaking a massive campaign to encourage both large- and small-scale poultry, dairy, livestock farming, as well as urban agriculture, through a national initiative we call “የሌማት ትሩፋት” – loosely translated as ‘bounty of the basket’.
"These efforts are showing promising results. Not only will Ethiopia feed itself; we are confident that we can strongly contribute to global food supplies through exports and otherwise. The 2023 Dakar Declaration on Food Sovereignty and Resilience rightly acknowledged the continental awakening that ‘it is time for Africa to feed itself and fully unlock its agriculture potential to feed the world.’ I call upon our African Union and development partners to support in unleashing this potential."
Abiy also spoke about climate change and its effects on the continent. While Africa’s contribution to global warming is insignificant, he said, climate change is already affecting Africa more severely than any other part of the world. "To this extent, climate change is an African problem, but its roots lie elsewhere. Global meetings on climate change are rich with the rhetoric of climate justice, the just transition, common but differentiated responsibilities of parties. These talks, however, are hardly ever backed up with action. And Africa cannot wait. Ethiopia is definitely not waiting for solutions to come from outside. Instead, we are doing all we can to contribute to climate change mitigation and adaptation."
It is important for Africa to tell its own stories and not allow others to tell it in the service of their own interests, said Abiy. In this regard he called for the establishment an African Union Continental Media House.
"Until Africa tells her own stories, her image will remain distorted – a distortion that affects not just how others view us but also how we view ourselves. We owe it to ourselves and to our children that Africa’s truths need to be told as they are, untainted with external interests and biases."
African Union Commission and staff reporter