AUC Race: Raila Odinga At Vantage Position As 7 Francophone Countries Are Banned From Voting

• The African Union Commission (AUC) chairmanship vote tends to display the silent rivalry between the blocks in the continent
• Countries have largely been classified as Francophone, Anglophone or even Lusophonem owing to the deep-rooted affiliations with the colonial masters
• Both the Francophone and Anglophone blocks have candidates for the post, but the former could be injured by the suspension of certain countries from the African Union

Kai Eli, a journalist at TUKO.co.ke, brings over three years of experience covering politics and current affairs in Kenya.

The debate about the oncoming African Union Commission (AUC) chairperson vote early next year has been a hot one in Kenya, given that longstanding opposition leader Raila Odinga is among the contenders.

Members states of the African Union, represented by their heads, will be taking a vote in the General Assembly in February 2025 to elect the next chairperson of the commission who will head the continental body's secretariat.

The vote will bring to the fore the silent political alignments across the continent as blocks rally behind their favourites.

What blocks are in Africa

Africa is known to have internal segregation on the lines of leanings to the ways of the colonial masters.

The continent is mainly divided into three groups: French-speaking countries have been categorised as Francophone, English-speaking as Anglophone, and Portuguese-speaking as Lusophone.

Diplomatic affairs analyst Ahmed Hashi says AU is heavily influenced by France, which has a huge block classed as Francophone countries.

The French-speaking countries on the continent constitute the majority in the AU and thus wield more power than the other blocks.

It is, however, not lost that some Francophone countries were suspended from the AU and no longer partake in its activities, namely Niger, Guinea, Burkina Faso, Gabon and Mali.

Why some Francophone countries were suspended by AU

According to Political Geography Now, AU suspensions are always a response to a government overthrow in a member country.

The continental organisation has a policy stipulating the debarment of countries whose management shifts through mechanisms that flout their constitutions, such as military coups.

The foregoing countries were suspended between 2021 and 2023 after political crises emanated from unrest and the governments' takeover by the respective militaries.

Guinea was suspended in September 2021, Sudan in October 2021, and Burkina Faso in January 2022, Mali included; in all instances, the soldiers took over the running of the countries.

Niger and Gabon were suspended in quick succession in August 2023.

Suspended countries are still considered members but are locked out of critical meetings and votes.