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 (born 2 September 1965) is an important diplomat from Djibouti. He is set to become the leader of the African Union Commission. He has also been Djibouti's longest-serving Minister of Foreign Affairs since 2005.
In April 2024, his home country, Djibouti, chose him to run for the top job at the African Union Commission. He won the election in February 2025 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, after many rounds of voting.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Mahamoud Ali Youssouf was born on September 2, 1965, in Djibouti City. He completed his early schooling in Djibouti.
He later continued his studies in the United Kingdom, France, and Canada. He focused on business management at the University of Liverpool. In 1990, he earned his master's degree in management. He also wrote a special research paper at the Free University of Brussels in the 1990s.
A Career in Diplomacy
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Youssouf began his career at Djibouti's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In the 1990s, he led the department that handled relations with Arab countries. From 1997 to 2001, he served as Djibouti's Ambassador to Egypt.
On July 4, 2001, Youssouf was appointed as the Minister-Delegate for International Cooperation. Later, on May 22, 2005, he became the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation. In 2006, he visited Japan to strengthen ties. Youssouf has played key roles in international talks, especially in the Horn of Africa region.
In 2008, Youssouf was the Chairman of the 129th meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Arab League.
Speaking to The New York Times in 2008, Youssouf explained Djibouti's goals. He said that even though Djibouti is a small country, it has a large port. He hoped to grow Djibouti's economy like Dubai has. He also pointed out that Djibouti's location is very important, perhaps even better than Dubai's.
Leading the African Union
Djibouti nominated Youssouf to be their candidate for the Chairperson of the African Union Commission (AUC) in April 2024. Youssouf stated that his main goal would be to ensure peace and safety across Africa. During a debate for the AUC chair, Youssouf said that African countries should solve their own security problems. He believes they should not rely too much on other nations. He also mentioned that the Peace and Security Council needs to be more active. He noted that the AU Standby Forces are not used often because of money problems. The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation supported his campaign.
On February 15, 2025, Youssouf was elected as the leader of the African Union. He will take over from Moussa Faki of Chad. The election took place in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The member countries of the African Union voted for him after seven rounds. He won against Raila Odinga.
Personal Life
Youssouf can speak many languages fluently. These include Arabic, English, French, Afar, and Somali.
He is known to have a close working relationship with Djibouti President Ismaïl Omar Guelleh.
See also
- List of current foreign ministers
