Africa cannot afford business as usual under new AUC chair

This research paper discusses the transition of leadership at the African Union Commission (AUC) following the election of Moussa Faki Mahamat as Chairperson on 30 January 2017. It analyzes the challenges facing the new chair, including the need for financial independence from international donors, the implementation of institutional reforms, and the management of peace and security crises across the continent.

• Moussa Faki Mahamat, Chad's Foreign Minister, was elected as the next AU Commission Chairperson on 30 January, defeating Kenya's Foreign Minister Amina Mohamed with a vote of 39 to 15 from AU member states in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
• The African Union faces a significant reliance on external funding; in 2016, member contributions accounted for only $200 million of the total $782 million budget.
• To achieve financial independence and support Agenda 2063 and the UN's Sustainable Development Goals, the AU implemented a 0.2% levy on African imports. This initiative is intended to make AU peace operations 25% self-funded and is projected to generate $1.2 billion in overall revenue for the AU in 2017, with $325 million specifically contributing to the peace fund in 2017 and rising to $400 million by 2020.
• Rwandan President Paul Kagame, following a mandate from the July 2016 Kigali Summit, proposed institutional reforms for the AU focusing on increased operational and political efficiency and accountability.
• The new AUC chair must address critical security and humanitarian challenges, including conflict in Mali, the fight against Boko Haram in north east Nigeria, and political instability in Libya, as well as the flow of refugees from the Central African Republic, Eritrea, Libya, Somalia, and Sudan.

APA

South African Institute of International Affairs (2017). Africa cannot afford business as usual under new AUC chair. https://saiia.org.za/research/africa-cannot-afford-business-as-usual-under-new-auc-chair/

Chicago

South African Institute of International Affairs. Africa cannot afford business as usual under new AUC chair. 2017. https://saiia.org.za/research/africa-cannot-afford-business-as-usual-under-new-auc-chair/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=South African Institute of International Affairs |title=Africa cannot afford business as usual under new AUC chair |date=7 February 2017 |url=https://saiia.org.za/research/africa-cannot-afford-business-as-usual-under-new-auc-chair/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{southafricaninstituteofinternationalaffairs2017africa, author = {{South African Institute of International Affairs}}, title = {{Africa cannot afford business as usual under new AUC chair}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2017}, month = feb, url = {https://saiia.org.za/research/africa-cannot-afford-business-as-usual-under-new-auc-chair/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }