At the helm of the African Union Commission (L-R) Commissioners Bankole Adeoye, Albert Muchanga and Amani Abu Zeid; AUC Chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat; AU Chairperson President Felix Tshisekedi: Deputy Chairperson Monique Nsanzabaganwa; Commissioners Josefa Sacko, Sarah Agbor and Amira ElFadil Mohammed

Following the expiry of the term of office of the 2017-2020 Commission of the African Union, the AU Assembly of Heads of State and Government appointed a new Commission during the virtual AU Summit held from 6-7 February. The Commission will be in office from 2021-2024. The elections marked one of the major milestones in the implementation of the ongoing institutional reforms of the AU to implement a leaner, streamlined and service oriented leadership structure consisting of the Chairperson, the Deputy Chairperson and six Commissioners, instead of the previous eight Commissioners.

Heading the African Union Commission (AUC) is Mr Moussa Faki Mahamat (Chad, Central Region) who was resoundingly re- elected by 51 of the 55 member states. The Chairperson of the AUC is the Chief Executive Officer, legal representative of the AU and the Commission’s Chief Accounting Officer. He/she is elected by the Assembly for a four-year term, renewable once. The Chairperson’s functions, include: overall responsibility for the Commission’s administration and finances; Promoting and popularising the AU’s objectives and enhancing its performance; consulting and coordinating with key stakeholders like Member States, Development Partners, RECs, etc; appointing and managing AUC staff; and acting as a depository for all AU treaties and legal instruments.

Dr. Monique Nsanzabaganwa (Rwanda, Eastern Region) was elected as the AUC’s Deputy Chairperson, becoming the first woman to occupy the post. She took over from Ambassador Kwesi Quartey of Ghana. The Deputy Chairperson is elected by the Assembly for a four-year term, renewable once. The Deputy Chairperson assists the Chairperson in the execution of his or her functions to ensure the smooth running of the Commission and is in charge of administration and finance. The Deputy acts as the Chairperson in his or her absence. The Deputy must not be from the same region as the Chairperson of the Commission. Elections and terms are governed by the AU Assembly Rules of Procedure and the Commission Statutes.

In line with its mandate, the Executive Council undertook the elections of the Commissioners of the AUC, electing 4 out of the required 6 commissioners. The newly elected or re=elected officials and their portfolios are:

• Josefa Sacko (Female, Angola, Southern Region), re-elected: Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy and Sustainable Environment
• Amb. Albert Muchanga (Male, Zambia, Southern Region) re-elected: Economic Development, Trade, Industry and Mining
• Dr. Amani Abou-Zeid (Female, Egypt, Northern Region) re-elected: Infrastructure and Energy
• Amb. Bankole Adeoye (Male, Nigeria, Western Region): Political Affairs, Peace and Security

Elections for two outstanding Commissioner posts for Commissioner of Health, Humanitarian Affairs and Social Development and the Commissioner for Education, Science, Technology and Innovation were postponed to the next meeting of the Executive Council scheduled for July 2021. In the interim, the incumbents, Mrs. Amira Elfadil Mohammed (Sudan) and Prof. Sarah Agbor (Cameroon) respectively, will continue to serve in their current positions until the elections are conducted. 

Under the African Union rules, regions that provide the Chairperson and Deputy Chairperson may not take up Commissioner positions as well. As such, in the new structure, the Central and Eastern Regions have their full quota held by the Chairperson and Deputy Chairperson. The Southern Region has its full quota of two Commissioners, one male and one female. Therefore, the two Commissioner posts postponed to the next meeting of the Executive Council will be filled by candidates from the Northern and Western Regions, which currently have one Commissioner each.