Egypt elected as chairman of African Union (AU)

Egyptian President, Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi has been elected as the chairman of the African Union (AU) at the continental body’s summit in Ethiopia. El-Sisi’s election brought to an end the one-year chairmanship of Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame. The Egyptian leader is expected to focus on the fight against armed groups on the continent and rebuilding efforts of countries recovering from conflict. It is the first time since the AU was founded in 2002 that Egypt assumes the top seat of the body. The African Union (AU) is a continental union consisting of 55 countries of the continent of Africa. The purpose of AU is to achieve greater unity and solidarity between the African countries and Africans. The primary languages spoken include Arabic, English, French and Portuguese and the languages of Africa. Within the African Union, there are official bodies such as the Peace and Security Council and the Pan-African Parliament.