The election of the new chief comes as the conflict in Africa’s second-largest country, the Democratic Republic of Congo, escalates following recent territorial gains by M23 rebels.

Djibouti's Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Minister Mahamoud Ali Youssouf.

African leaders have elected Djibouti’s Foreign Minister, Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, to chair the African Union commission. Djibouti’s finance minister, Ilyas Dawaleh, revealed this on Saturday. Youssouf won the required support of two-thirds of the region’s leaders in the Ethiopian capital,

At the opening of the 46th African Union summit, Moussa Faki Mahamat bids farewell as member states jockey for positions in the six commissions.

The Djiboutian presidency's spokesman has said that Djibouti's Mahmoud Ali Youssouf was elected Saturday as the chairman of the African Union's executive commission.

African leaders chose Djibouti's Foreign Minister Mahmoud Ali Youssouf to chair the African Union commission on Saturday at a summit dominated by fears of the Congo war widening into a regional conflict,

Djibouti’s long-serving Foreign Minister Mahmoud Ali Youssouf was elected on February 15 as head of the African Union Commission, securing the backing of regional leaders in Addis Ababa. Youssouf vowed to prioritise peace and security as Africa faces conflicts and major aid cuts.