President Idriss Deby of Chad was on Saturday elected as the new chairman of the African Union (AU).
Deby took over the chairmanship of the AU from President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe for a period of one year.
His election was announced by his predecessor in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, at the opening of the 26th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the Heads of State and Government of the African Union.
“I accept this task with pleasure, but with a little agony as the responsiblity you entrust in me is heavy and fraught with challenges,” said in his acceptance speech.
Déby commended Mugabe for serving African Union with passion and determination in the year 2015.
“He served his term with passion and determination and has attained the objectives that laid out. I’m going to succeed President Robert Mugabe, and it is not an easy task, we will try to do all our best; I would like to assure you.
“You are giving Chad and its people a great pleasure by appointing me as chairman of the African Union for 2016. I would like to thank my colleagues of the central African region who proposed me for this noble function, and all of you here who have endorsed their choice,” he said.
Those elected along with Deby were President Boni Yayi of Benin Republic and President Paul Kagame of Rwanda as First Vice President and Second Vice President of the African Union Bureau of the Drafting Committee.
