Mahamoud Ali Youssouf facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Mahamoud Ali Youssouf
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| Maxamuud Cali Yuusuf Macamuud Qali Yuusuf محمود علي يوسف |
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Youssouf in 2013
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| 5th Chairperson of the African Union Commission | |
| Assuming office March 2025 |
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| Succeeding | Moussa Faki |
| Minister of Foreign Affairs | |
| Assumed office 22 May 2005 |
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| President | Ismaïl Omar Guelleh |
| Preceded by | Ali Abdi Farah |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 2 September 1965 Djibouti City, Djibouti |
| Political party | People's Rally for Progress |
| Alma mater | Lumière University Lyon 2 |
Mahamoud Ali Youssouf (Somali: Maxamuud Cali Yuusuf, Afar: Macamuud Qali Yuusuf, Arabic: محمود علي يوسف; born 2 September 1965) is a Djiboutian diplomat and the Chairperson-elect of the African Union Commission. He served longest djiboutian foreign minister since 2005.
In April 2024, he was nominated by Djibouti for the position of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission. On 15 February 2025, he won the elections in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia after seven rounds of voting.
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Early life and education
Mahamoud Ali Youssouf was born on 2 September 1965 in Djibouti city. He received his basic education in Djibouti.
Yousouf's further educational journey took him to the United Kingdom, France, and Canada. He studied business management at the University of Liverpool and obtained his master's degree in management in 1990. He wrote his thesis at the Free University of Brussels in the 1990s.
Diplomatic career
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Youssouf worked at Djibouti's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and headed its Arab affairs department during the 1990s. He served as Ambassador to Egypt from 1997 to 2001.
Youssouf was appointed as Minister-Delegate for International Cooperation on 4 July 2001. He was subsequently appointed as Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation on 22 May 2005. In 2006, he visited Japan. Youssouf has played important roles in international diplomacy, especially in the Horn of Africa.
In 2008 Youssouf served as Chairman of the 129th Ordinary Session of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Arab League.
Speaking to The New York Times in 2008, Youssouf said that although Djibouti was a small country, it had a sizable port and hoped to develop its economy along the same lines as Dubai. He highlighted the country's strategic location, which he asserted was better positioned than Dubai.
Chairperson of African Union
Djibouti nominated Youssouf as their candidate for the Chairperson of the African Union Commission (AUC) in April 2024. Youssouf considered peace and security his top priority. In the AUC chair candidates debate Youssouf stated that African countries should lead the way in dealing with security issues and should stop depending on other nations. He also criticised the Peace and Security Council for not being proactive enough, and noted that the AU Standby Forces were rarely utilised due to funding issues. He was endorsed by the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation.
On February 15, 2025, Youssouf was elected as the Chairperson of the African Union , succeeding Chadian Moussa Faki. The election, held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, was decided by member states of the African Union after seven rounds of voting, in which he defeated Raila Odinga.
Personal life
Youssouf is fluent in Arabic, English, French, Afar, and Somali.
He is said have a close relationship with Djibouti President Ismaël Omar Guelleh.
See also
- List of current foreign ministers
 | May Edward Chinn |
 | Rebecca Cole |
 | Alexa Canady |
 | Dorothy Lavinia Brown |
