China congratulates Mahamoud Ali Youssouf on election as African Union Commission chairperson

China

China congratulates Mahamoud Ali Youssouf on election as African Union Commission chairperson

2025-02-17 16:36 Last Updated At：18:47

China on Monday congratulated Djiboutian Minister of Foreign Affairs Mahamoud Ali Youssouf on election as the new chairperson of the African Union (AU) Commission, and expressed the readiness to promote the development of China-AU ties.

On Saturday night, during the 38th Ordinary Session of the AU Assembly of the Heads of State and Government, Youssouf emerged victorious in the leadership race against Kenyan former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, and Madagascan former Foreign Affairs Minister Richard Randriamandrato.

Youssouf, 59, will take the baton from his predecessor Moussa Faki Mahamat for a four-year tenure, renewable once.

"China congratulates Youssouf on his election as the new chairperson of the AU Commission. The African Union is the banner of Africa's unity and self-reliance, and serves as an important platform for international cooperation. China has always viewed its relations with the AU from a strategic height and long-term perspective. President Xi Jinping has sent congratulatory message to the AU Summit for 13 consecutive years and met with AU leaders during the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, fully demonstrating the high level of China-AU relations," said Guo Jiakun, a Foreign Ministry spokesman, at a press briefing in Beijing

"At present, Africa's peace and development are facing new opportunities and challenges. China is willing to work closely with chairperson Youssouf and the new AU Commission, continue to support the AU in playing a leading role in the process of African integration, make a stronger voice in international and regional affairs, jointly promote the in-depth development of China-AU and China-Africa relations, and lead the Global South to unite and strengthen themselves and work together to promote modernization," he continued.

Venezuelan acting president calls for national unity amid complex situation

Venezuela's acting president Delcy Rodriguez said on Sunday that the country is at a critical stage and must achieve national unity, emphasizing that maintaining internal cohesion is of utmost importance.

In a televised address, Rodriguez called on the public to continue trusting the government under the current highly complex political circumstances.

Her statement comes in the wake of a January 3 military operation conducted by the United States, during which Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife were taken into custody and flown out of the country.

The operation resulted in at least 100 fatalities.

Rodriguez, who was sworn in as acting president two days later on January 5, framed her appeal for unity against this backdrop of external intervention.

Meanwhile, Venezuelan Minister of Communication and Information Freddy Nanez denounced the U.S. actions as a "war crime of the 21st century" when speaking at an international cultural event on Sunday.

Nanez condemned not only the January 3 airstrikes but also the associated cyber and electromagnetic attacks.

He accused the United States of violating international law through the forced removal of President Maduro and his wife, while attacks on civilian infrastructure, including medical facilities, represent a flagrant breach of humanitarian norms.

He reiterated that the stigmatization and military attacks against Venezuela are driven by economic interests, particularly the desire to control its abundant natural resources.