VICTORIA, Seychelles — Foreign Affairs Minister Sylvestre Radegonde represented President Wavel Ramkalawan at the 38th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the African Union (AU), held on February 15-16 in Addis Ababa under the theme ‘Justice for Africans and people of African descent through reparations’. The highlight of the two-day event was the election of new senior leadership of the African Union Commission.
Mahmoud Ali Youssouf of the Republic of Djibouti was elected as the new chairperson of the Commission, with Selma Malika Haddadi of the People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria elected as the new deputy chairperson. Both will serve a four-year term. Member states also thanked the outgoing chairperson, Moussa Faki Mahamat, for his leadership over the past eight years. The Assembly witnessed the handing over ceremony of the chairperson of the Bureau of the AU, with João Lourenço, President of Angola, taking over from Mohamed Ould El Ghazouani, President of Mauritania.
On the margins of the Assembly, Minister Radegonde presented the report of the Africa Island States Climate Commission (AISCC) at the annual Committee of African Heads of State and Government on Climate Change. He reiterated the Commission’s urgent call for a progressive transition toward green and blue economies. Minister Radegonde also held bilateral meetings with Japan’s parliamentary vice-minister for Foreign Affairs, Eri Arfiya, and Germany’s Special Envoy for their UN Security Council candidature, Wolfgang Dold. He was accompanied by Conrad Mederic, permanent representative of Seychelles to the AU, and other senior officials.
