The African Union (AU) has completed the selection of its top leadership team at the African Union Commission (AUC) with the recent appointment of two commissioners from Central Africa. This announcement was made in a statement released by AU on Thursday.
The appointments were made during the 7th Mid-Year Coordination Meeting held ten days ago in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea. This meeting is one of the AU’s most important gatherings, where member states and regional economic communities discuss strategic coordination and leadership decisions.
Francisca Tatchouop Belobe from Equatorial Guinea was appointed as the Commissioner for Economic Development, Trade, Tourism, Industry, and Minerals. She is expected to play a major role in driving Africa’s economic policies, trade partnerships, tourism growth, and industrialisation efforts.
Also appointed was Gaspard Banyankimbona from Burundi, who will now serve as the Commissioner for Education, Science, Technology, and Innovation. His office will be responsible for shaping continental policies around learning, research, innovation, and the digital transformation agenda.
These two positions had remained vacant since February when the AU held its 38th Ordinary Summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The elections at that time were postponed to ensure proper regional representation, gender balance, and transparency in the selection process.
The AU said the decision to select the new commissioners from Central Africa followed a directive by its Executive Council. The aim was to promote predictable rotation among regions, equitable geographical distribution, gender parity, and merit-based appointments across the eight senior leadership positions at the AUC.
With this latest development, all five African regions—North, West, East, South, and Central—now have two representatives in the AUC top team: one male and one female each, as per AU’s policy for balanced leadership.
The new commissioners are expected to be sworn in soon at the AU headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Francisca Tatchouop Belobe will take over at a time when the continent is focusing on implementing the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agreement and recovering economically from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and global inflation. Her role will be critical in pushing for intra-African trade, developing small and medium-scale industries, attracting investments in tourism, and ensuring Africa benefits from its vast mineral resources.
On his part, Gaspard Banyankimbona comes in as the AU steps up efforts to increase access to quality education, promote science-based policymaking, and expand innovation and digital tools in schools and universities. His role will also involve partnering with development organisations and local governments to close gaps in education and research across African countries.
The African Union Commission is the secretariat of the AU and is responsible for implementing the decisions of the AU Assembly. It plays a key role in shaping continental policies, coordinating between countries, and promoting peace, development, and integration across Africa.
With the full commission now in place, expectations are high for the AU to strengthen its institutional performance and deliver better results for the continent. Many observers say the new appointments show the AU is taking steps towards inclusivity and professionalism in its leadership structure.
The Commission, led by Chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat, now has a full complement of eight commissioners who will be responsible for delivering on the Union’s Agenda 2063, which is Africa’s blueprint for a peaceful, integrated, and prosperous continent.
