Mahamoud Ali Youssouf

Mahamoud Ali Youssouf (born 2 September 1965) is a Djiboutian diplomat and the chairperson of the African Union Commission. He is the longest-serving Djiboutian foreign minister, having served from 2005 to 2025.

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 election in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, after 7 rounds of voting.

== Early life and education ==

Mahamoud Ali Youssouf was born on 2 September 1965 in Djibouti City. He received his basic education in Djibouti. He is Afar.

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 ==

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 Minister-Delegate for International Cooperation on 4 July 2001. He was subsequently appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs and International...