ADDIS ABABA, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) -- The 38th Ordinary Session of the African Union (AU) Assembly of the Heads of State and Government on Saturday elected Selma Haddadi as the new AU Commission deputy chairperson.
Haddadi, Algerian ambassador to Ethiopia, was elected for the 2025-2028 term and will succeed Monique Nsanzabaganwa, the outgoing deputy chair and Rwanda's former Minister of Trade and Industry, who was elected to the role in March 2021.
The Algerian diplomat secured victory over five other candidates from the Northern Africa region, as confirmed by Nsanzabaganwa.
In her vision statement ahead of the election, Haddadi pledged to bring new energy and improved management to the AU Commission, aiming to unleash Africa's full potential.
She emphasized the importance of "fresh and innovative energy in unlocking Africa's vast potential through the best use of its human capital resources, as part of providing African solutions to African problems."
The AU assembly also elected Djibouti's Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Minister Mahamoud Ali Youssouf as the new AU Commission chairperson.
