Who was elected to head the African Union's Executive Commission and how did he secure the position?

Mahmoud Ali Yusuf, Djibouti's long-serving foreign minister since 2005, was elected to head the African Union's Executive Commission. He secured this prestigious position by winning the required support of two-thirds of the region's leaders during the 38th Ordinary Session of the African Union assembly held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Despite running a relatively low-profile campaign against more prominent candidates like Kenya's Raila Odinga, Yusuf's diplomatic experience and longevity in international relations helped him secure this critical leadership role representing 1.5 billion Africans. His appointment comes at a challenging time for the continent, with issues including military unrest in West Africa and conflicts in Eastern Congo.