STORY: AU commission discusses election of new leadership
SHOOTING TIME: March 15, 2024
DATELINE: March 17, 2024
LENGTH: 00:02:28
LOCATION: Addis Ababa
CATEGORY: POLITICS

SHOTLIST:
1. various of the African Union Commission
2. SOUNDBITE (English interpretation): MOHAMED SALEM OULD MERZOUG, Chairperson of the executive council of the AU Commission

STORYLINE:

Members of the executive council of the African Union Commission (AUC) have discussed election modalities to choose the body's new senior leadership.

The discussion took place on Friday at the African Union (AU) headquarters in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia, during the 22nd extraordinary session of the executive council. Senior officials, including Moussa Faki Mahamat, the chairperson of the AU Commission, were present.

Speaking on the occasion, chairperson of the executive council of the AUC Mohamed Salem Ould Merzoug underscored the need to strengthen the AU institutions to help the commission fully discharge its responsibilities and accelerate Africa's integration.

SOUNDBITE (English interpretation): MOHAMED SALEM OULD MERZOUG, Chairperson of the executive council of the AU Commission
"We should, therefore, continue with our efforts to build the institutions of the African Union, so that those institutions can carry out their functions, so that we can strengthen our cooperation, our integration and we can together achieve the objective, the continental agenda of 2063. The African Union should be seen through our cooperation, the results that we achieve, the fraternity that we share. So let us build together a stronger Africa, a more united Africa, a more prosperous Africa."

The AU's senior leadership is elected to serve a four-year term, with the option for re-election for another four-year term. The senior elective posts include the position of the African Union Commission chairperson, the deputy chairperson and six commissioners.

According to a statement released late Friday by the AU, the executive council also discussed the modalities of regional rotation and gender parity to ensure all five regions of the AU have a fair chance of having leadership roles at the continental organization. 

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Addis Ababa.
(XHTV)