Somalia’s Fawzia Yusuf Adam raised concerns on Thursday about being pressured to withdraw from the race for Chairperson of the African Union Commission (AUC).....CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL ARTICLE>>>
During a press briefing, Adam revealed that she had reportedly received pressure from two Djiboutian leaders, President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre.
“The President and the Prime Minister from Djibouti asked me to give up,” she stated.
She revealed that she was called to a National Consultative Council (NCC) meeting between the two and other leaders during which she alleges that she was asked to stop running for the position.
Adam added that she was not given a reason to stop vying.
She however emphasised that the threats and intimidation would not sway her quest. She will face Kenya’s Raila Odinga and two other candidates from across the continent.
“I am grateful to all the Somali people for supporting me. Victory in Somalia,” she added.
Her revelation was met with mixed reactions with some locals urging her to remain resilient and continue with her bid to take up the position.
However, others asked her to give in to the pressure and give up adding that the Djibouti candidate was more qualified to lead as AU Chairperson.
Adam is among the two candidates eyeing the prestigious AU Chairmanship position. Others in the race include former Prime Minister Raila Odinga and Djibouti’s Mahamoud Ali Youssouf.
Raila’s bid has been backed by the country led by President William Ruto and other regional leaders. If elected, the new chairperson will be tasked with the role of administrator and enforcer of the AU. The chairperson will prepare the budget and champion AU’s objectives and interests in the global arena.
Additionally, the chairperson is also mandated to facilitate the functioning, decision making and reporting of all AU organ meetings, and ensure conformity and harmony with agree AU policies, strategies, programmes and projects.
The new chairperson will be selected in February 2025 at the 38th AU summit…CONTINUE READING>>
