South Sudan President Salva Kiir Mayardit left for Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, this afternoon to participate in the 38th Ordinary Session of the African Union (AU) Assembly, scheduled for February 14-16, 2025.
The summit, themed “Justice for Africans and People of African Descent Through Reparations,” will bring together heads of state and government from across the continent to discuss pressing issues affecting Africa and establish policy priorities for the upcoming year.
During the summit, elections for the next African Union Commission (AUC) chairperson will take place.
With just hours before the election to select the new AUC chairperson, many regional leaders have already arrived in Addis Ababa.
The election will determine the successor to Moussa Faki of Chad, whose term has ended. The new chairperson will be selected on February 15, 2025.
The AUC chairperson is elected by the Assembly for a four-year term, renewable once.
Kenya’s opposition leader, Raila Odinga, is among those vying for the position. He faces competition from Mahamoud Ali Youssouf of Djibouti and Richard Randriamandrato of Madagascar in this high-stakes race.
Kiir’s press secretary, Lily Adhieu Martin Manyiel, said in a statement that while in Addis Ababa, the president will hold several sideline meetings with other leaders, including UN Secretary-General António Guterres.
She pointed out that the topics of discussion will include the peace process in South Sudan, Sudanese refugees in the country, and climate change, among others.