Election of new AU chairperson, return of Morocco on top

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El Sisi is scheduled to take part in the 28th ordinary session of the Assembly of the Heads of State and Governments of the African Union, to be held on Monday and Tuesday.

Under the theme "Harnessing Demographic Dividend through investments in the Youth", the session will witness the election of a new head of the AU Commission, as incumbent Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma is on borrowed time after her four-year term was previously extended for six months by the AU leaders.

In July 2016, the vote to select a new AU chairperson in Kigali, Rwanda was suspended as the five candidates failed to get two-thirds of the votes needed to win the post.

The AU leaders will discuss the progress achieved in Africa’s “Agenda 2063” that is mainly concerned with sustainable development in Africa in addition to the importance of investment in the youth, particularly girls.

Figuring high on the agenda of the meeting will be considering the return of Morocco as a member of the African Union after its exit in 1984 in the wake of approving the membership of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic in the Organization of African Unity.

Morocco needs 36 votes out of 54 in order to return to the AU, while its foreign ministry said Rabat was supported by 40 African countries to regain its place in the top African body.

The chairmanship will also be transferred from Chad's President Idriss Deby to Guinea's leader Alpha Conde.

Source: MENA