Newly elected AU Commission officials take office

Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, the incoming Africa Union (AU) chairperson, shakes hands with delegates during her inauguration ceremony in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa, Oct 15, 2012. [Photo/Agencies]

ADDIS ABABA - The newly elected chairperson, deputy chairperson and commissioners of the African Union Commission (AU Commission) on Monday assumed office in a handing-over ceremony held at its AU headquarters in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa.

The new commission was elected at the 19th AU summit in July in Addis Ababa.

Chairperson Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma of South Africa, Deputy Chairperson Erastus Mwencha of Kenya and the eight commissioners will serve a term of four years.

The eight commissioners are in charge of peace and security, political affairs, trade and industry, infrastructure and energy, social affairs, rural economy and agriculture, human resources and Science and technology and economic affairs.

Among the re-elected officials were Ramtane Lamamra of Algeria, commissioner for peace and security; Elham Mahmoud Ahmed Ibrahim of Egypt, commissioner for infrastructure and energy; Rhoda Peace Tumusiime of Uganda, commissioner for rural economy and agriculture.

Mustapha Sidiki Kaloko from Sierra Leon was elected as commissioner for social affairs, Chadian Fatima Haram Acyl as commissioner for trade and industry and Nigerian Aicha L. Abdoullahi as commissioner for political affairs.

The election of the commissioner for human resources, science and technology and the commissioner for economic affairs were postponed to the 20th AU summit set for January 2013.    

The newly elected AU Commission vows to become "an efficient and value-adding institution" to boost the African integration and development in close collaboration with AU member states, regional economic communities and African citizens.

Established in 1963, the pan-African bloc was initially named the Organization for African Unity (OAU), before transformed into the African Union (AU) about 10 years ago.