Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga has received a major boost in his bid for the African Union Commission (AUC) Chairmanship role after another nation backed his bid.
State House through a statement on April 27, 2024, announced that President William Ruto secured Zimbabwe’s support for the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) Party leader.
President Ruto secured the endorsement while at the Bulawayo State House, Zimbabwe during bilateral talks with his counterpart President Emmerson Mnangagwa.
The Head of State while speaking in the meeting said Kenya’s candidature is informed by the role that the country plays in enhancing the Pan – African Agenda.
“I am assured that Kenya and Zimbabwe will persist in conferring and backing each other on multitude of issues of bilateral, regional and continental significance alongside the African Union Agenda 2063,” said Ruto.
The endorsement is a huge boost for Odinga who was named as Kenya’s candidate for AUC Chairperson for 2025 – 2028.
Also Read: Details of Raila’s Meeting with European Diplomats Ahead of AU Elections
This comes on the back of a unanimous decision by the African Union (AU) Executive Council, on 15th March 2024, that the Eastern Africa region submit candidates for the AU Chairperson.
Raila Odinga’s AU Bid
Odinga announced his interest in the role back in February 2024 in a presser with former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo who endorsed him for the job, noting that he was a man with experience.
Since then, the opposition leader has received several endorsements including the East African Community (EAC) Secretariat which said that the Kenyan government formally communicated Raila’s candidature on March 20, 2024.
Also Read: High Level Meeting Clears Path for Raila to Vie for AU Job
Also, Raila while speaking on February 29, revealed that he had the support of six presidents, adding that he would intensify campaigns to convince more.
Among them are Kenya’s President William Ruto, Paul Kagame of Rwanda, Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa, Felix Tshisekedi of Democratic Republic of Congo and Yoweri Museveni of Uganda.
South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir and Samia Suluhu of Tanzania have also endorsed Raila for the AU job citing his vast experience and sacrifices for Kenya.
Other Candidates
However, Raila is facing competition from two candidates within the Eastern Africa region after Somalia and Djibouti presented candidates for the same bid.
Djibouti threw its hat into the ring for the role through an announcement on Tuesday, April 9, from the Presidency of the Republic in Djibouti.
The country in the statement declared the candidacy of its Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, for the coveted continental position.
Also, Somalia’s former Minister for Foreign Affairs, Fawzia Adam joined the race to succeed Faki after being fronted by the Federal Republic of Somalia government under President Hassan Mohamud.
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