Who was elected as the new head of the African Union's Executive Commission?

Mahmoud Ali Yusuf, Djibouti's foreign minister since 2005, was elected to head the African Union's Executive Commission. The 59-year-old diplomat secured the required two-thirds support from regional leaders during a vote in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, defeating veteran Kenyan politician Raila Odinga despite being considered an underdog in the race. Observers praised Yusuf's low-key campaign approach, which ultimately proved successful. As the new head of the Pan-African bloc, he will represent approximately 1.5 billion Africans across the continent, succeeding Moussa Faki Muhammad in this influential leadership role.