KidzSearch Wiki

Chairperson of the African Union

The Chairperson of the African Union is the ceremonial head of the African Union elected by the Assembly of Heads of State and Government for a one-year term.[1]

Chairperson of the
African Union
Flag of the African Union.svg
Flag of the African Union
João Lourenço 2023.jpg
Incumbent
João Lourenço
since 15 February 2025
StyleExcellency
AbbreviationCPAU
Appointerthe Assembly
Term lengthOne year
Constituting instrumentConstitutive Act of the AU (article 6)
PrecursorChairperson of the OAU
Inaugural holderThabo Mbeki
Formation9 July 2002
DeputyBureau
Websiteau.int/en/cpau

A candidate must be supported by at least two-thirds of the member states or by consensus. The chairperson is expected to complete the term without resignations or impeachment.

List of Chairpersons

No. Portrait Chairperson Took office Left office Country Region
1 SthAfrica.ThaboMbeki.01 (cropped).jpg Thabo Mbeki[2] 9 July 2002 10 July 2003  South Africa Southern Africa
2 Joaquim Chissano 2004-08-31.jpg Joaquim Chissano[3] 10 July 2003 11 July 2004  Mozambique Southern Africa
3 Olusegun Obasanjo 1-2.jpg Olusegun Obasanjo[4] 11 July 2004 24 January 2006  Nigeria West Africa
4 Denis Sassou Nguesso 2014.png Denis Sassou Nguesso[5] 24 January 2006 24 January 2007  Republic of Congo Central Africa
5 John Kufuor 1-1.jpg John Kufuor[6] 30 January 2007 31 January 2008  Ghana West Africa
6 Jakaya Kikwete 2011 crop.jpg Jakaya Kikwete[7] 31 January 2008 2 February 2009  Tanzania East Africa
7 Muammar al-Gaddafi-30112006.jpg Muammar Gaddafi[8] 2 February 2009 31 January 2010 Libya North Africa
8 Bingu wa Mutharika 2009-09-23.jpg Bingu wa Mutharika[9] 31 January 2010 31 January 2011  Malawi Southern Africa
9 Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo at the White House in 2014.jpg Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo[10] 31 January 2011 29 January 2012  Equatorial Guinea Central Africa
10 Yayi Boni.jpg Yayi Boni[11] 29 January 2012 27 January 2013  Benin West Africa
11 Hailemariam Desalegn 2014.jpg Hailemariam Desalegn[12] 27 January 2013 30 January 2014  Ethiopia East Africa
12 Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz August 2014 (cropped).jpg Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz[13] 30 January 2014 30 January 2015  Mauritania North Africa
13 Robert Mugabe May 2015 (cropped).jpg Robert Mugabe[14] 30 January 2015 30 January 2016  Zimbabwe Southern Africa
14 Idriss Déby at the White House in 2014.jpg Idriss Déby[15] 30 January 2016 30 January 2017  Chad Central Africa
15 Alpha Conde - World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2012.jpg Alpha Condé[16] 30 January 2017 28 January 2018  Guinea West Africa
16 Paul Kagame 2014.jpg Paul Kagame[17] 28 January 2018 10 February 2019  Rwanda East Africa
17 AbdelFattah Elsisi (cropped).jpg Abdel Fattah el-Sisi[18] 10 February 2019 10 February 2020  Egypt North Africa
18 Mr. Houlin Zhao, ITU Secretary-General with H. E. Mr. Cyril Ramaphosa, President, South Africa (cropped) (cropped).jpg Cyril Ramaphosa[19] 10 February 2020 6 February 2021  South Africa Southern Africa
19 Félix Tshisekedi - 2019 (cropped).jpg Félix Tshisekedi[20] 6 February 2021 5 February 2022  Democratic Republic of Congo Central Africa
20 President Macky Sall in 2020.jpg Macky Sall 5 February 2022 18 February 2023  Senegal West Africa
21 President Azali Assoumani.jpg Azali Assoumani 18 February 2023 17 February 2024  Comoros East Africa
22 Мухаммед Ульд Газуани 02 (18-02-2022).jpg Mohamed Ould Ghazouani 17 February 2024 15 February 2025  Mauritania West Africa
23 João Lourenço 2023.jpg João Lourenço[21] 15 February 2025 Incumbent  Angola Southern Africa

Chairperson Of The African Union Media

  • Gaddafi holding the ceremonial baton after taking over as Chair from Tanzania's Jakaya Kikwete.

  • Denis Sassou Nguesso 1986 cropped

  • Muammar al-Gaddafi at the AU summit (3x4)

References

  1. ↑ African Union Handbook (2014)African Union. p. 15. Retrieved 30 January 2015.
  2. ↑ Babarinde, Olufemi. The EU as a Model for the African Union: the Limits of Imitation. miami.edu (April 2007).
  3. ↑ High hopes for AU Maputo Assembly (4–10 July 2003)ANC Today. Retrieved 30 January 2014.
  4. ↑ Obasanjo Elected AU Chairman. Addis Ababa: Vanguard. 12 July 2004. http://allafrica.com/stories/200407070141.html. Retrieved 2014-01-31. 
  5. ↑ CONGO: Profile of Denis Sassou-Nguesso, new AU head. Brazzaville: IRIN. 24 January 2006. http://www.irinnews.org/report/57904/congo-profile-of-denis-sassou-nguesso-new-au-head. Retrieved 2014-01-31. 
  6. ↑ President Kufuor elected Chairman of AU. Accra: Ghana News Agency. 29 January 2007. https://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/President-Kufuor-elected-Chairman-of-AU-118128. Retrieved 2014-01-31. 
  7. ↑ Appel, Michael (2 February 2008). Kikwete takes over AU Chair. Pambazuka News. http://www.pambazuka.org/aumonitor/comments/kikwete_takes_over_au_chair/. Retrieved 2014-01-31. 
  8. ↑ "Gaddafi vows to push Africa unity". BBC News. 2 February 2009. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/7864604.stm. Retrieved 2014-01-31. 
  9. ↑ Malawi president takes over as AU president. AFP. 31 January 2010. https://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5g8cvj3048f4WEB6UQuim80MKqhVA. Retrieved 2014-01-31. 
  10. ↑ Hennig, Rainer Chr. (1 February 2011). New AU leader Obiang calls criticism un-African. Afrol News. http://www.afrol.com/articles/37211. Retrieved 2014-01-31. 
  11. ↑ Directorate of Information and Communication, African Union Commission (29 January 2012). "President Thomas Yayi Boni elected as Chairperson of the African Union for 2012". Press release. https://au.int/sites/default/files/pressreleases/24743-pr-29.01.12_18eme_sommet_-_cp_fr_-_election_du_president_de_lua_en_2_.pdf. Retrieved 10 February 2022. 
  12. ↑ Stainburn, Samantha (28 January 2013). Hailemariam Desalegn, Ethiopia's PM, is new African Union Assembly chairman. GlobalPost. http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/regions/africa/130128/hailemariam-desalegn-ethiopia-s-pm-new-african-union-assembly-ch. Retrieved 31 January 2014. 
  13. ↑ President Abdel Aziz of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania elected African Union Chairperson. Addis Ababa: African Union. 30 January 2014. https://au.int/en/newsevents/29211/president-abdel-aziz-islamic-republic-mauritania-elected-african-union-chairperson. Retrieved 10 February 2022. 
  14. ↑ Zimbabwe's Mugabe, 90, becomes African Union chairman (30 January 2015)Reuters. Retrieved 30 January 2015.
  15. ↑ African Union [_AfricanUnion]. Prez Idriss Itno Déby of #Chad takes over as #AU Chairperson (in English) (30 January 2016). Retrieved 30 January 2016.
  16. ↑ President Alpha Conde of Guinea Has Been Elected New Chairperson of the African Union (AU) (30 January 2017)African Union. Retrieved 31 January 2017.
  17. ↑ President Paul Kagame, Elected as New Chairperson of the African Union for the year 2018 (28 January 2018)African Union. Retrieved 29 January 2018.
  18. ↑ The 32ND African Union (AU) Heads of State and Government Summit Kicks Off (10 February 2019)African Union. Retrieved 10 February 2019.
  19. ↑ Simon (February 10, 2020). South African President Cyril Ramaphosa elected African Union Chairperson as continent vows to "silence the guns," boost trade and close gender gap. Today News Africa. https://todaynewsafrica.com/south-african-president-cyril-ramaphosa-elected-african-union-chairperson-as-continent-vows-to-silence-the-guns-boost-trade-and-close-gender-gap/. Retrieved February 10, 2020. 
  20. ↑ President Felix-Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo Elected Chair Of The AU For The Year 2021 (22 February 2021)African Union.
  21. ↑ João Lourenço: ‘Dialogue is the only solution to peace in the DRC – including with M23’ (13 February 2025)The Africa Report. Retrieved 22 February 2025.


Retrieved from "https://wiki.kidzsearch.com/w/index.php?title=Chairperson_of_the_African_Union&oldid=5888408"