African Union candidates: three men vying for top role

NAIROBI - The African Union will elect a new chairman over the weekend, with three candidates vying to represent some 1.5 billion people across the continent at a time of heightened uncertainty and regional conflicts.

Here are brief profiles of the men:

DJIBOUTI: MAHAMOUD ALI YOUSSOUF

The 59-year-old career diplomat has been foreign minister of Djibouti, a tiny but strategically located Horn of Africa nation, since 2005.

He speaks French, English and Arabic and, though he is considered an outside contender, observers have praised his low-key campaign.

His knowledge of AU institutions is also considered an advantage, according to an International Crisis Group report.

In an interview with AFP in December, Youssouf said there was a "governance problem" in some African nations - particularly those shaken by coups.

KENYA - RAILA ODINGA

The 80-year-old veteran Kenyan opposition politician has a mixed reputation, switching sides when it has suited him.

Odinga spent his early political years either in jail or in exile, fighting for democracy during the autocratic rule of President Daniel Arap Moi.

"We are focused on bringing the seat home for Kenya and serving the African people," he said on X last year, announcing his candidacy. He has maintained that his name will help bring political clout to the role.

MADAGASCAR: RICHARD RANDRIAMANDRATO

The 55-year-old was Madagascar's economy and finance minister from 2018 to 2021 and then briefly foreign minister in 2022 before he was fired for breaking with his country's neutral position on the war in Ukraine, and voting at the United Nations to condemn Russia's annexation of four Ukrainian regions.

He has previously worked for the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA).