section_path: Chairperson of African Union
section_name: Chairperson of African Union
paragraph_text: 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 criticised the Peace and Security Council for being reactive rather than proactive and noted that the African Standby Forces were rarely utilised due to funding issues. He was endorsed by the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation.
  
  On 15 February 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 Madagascar's Richard Randriamandra then Kenya's Raila Odinga, the leading candidate. Youssouf received congratulatory messages from the UN Secretary-General António Guterres and from across the continent.