Tanzania, DRC & 14 Countries Told To Change From Supporting Raila
Other than Tanzania and DRC, SADC consists of member countries which are located in the Southern part of Africa including Angola, Botswana, Comoros, Eswatini, Lesotho, and Madagascar.
Viral Tea Ke Writer 
African Union Commission (AUC) Chairperson hopeful Raila Odinga's chances of a smooth victory in the upcoming elections have hit a stumbling block following a directive by the Southern African Development Community (SADC) to its 16 member states. They include Kenya's neighbour Tanzania and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
In a letter obtained by Viral Tea and addressed to all foreign ministers, SADC urged the member countries to back Madagascar's candidate, Richard Randriamandrato in the upcoming election, a move which raises the stakes in Raila's road to possible victory.
Other than Tanzania and DRC, SADC consists of member countries which are located in the Southern part of Africa including Angola, Botswana, Comoros, Eswatini, Lesotho, and Madagascar.
The list also includes another influential country, South Africa. Other countries under the same economic bloc are Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
Raila Odinga with Former Madagascar Foreign Affairs Minister Richard J Randriamandrato. /RAILA ODINGA
Explaining the call, the SADC Secretariat stated that the decision was made after an SADC meeting in August 2024 in Zimbabwe, which focused on strengthening regional backing for a single candidate.
"The Republics of Madagascar and Mauritius had, in the August 2024 Council, submitted a candidate each for the position of Chairperson of the African Union Commission, namely Mr Richard J. Randriamandrato and Mr Anil Kumarsingh Gayan, respectively. We have since learnt that Mauritius has withdrawn her candidature, leaving Madagascar as the only Member State from the SADC region to compete for the position," the letter read in part.
"This letter, therefore, serves to encourage SADC Member States to support Mr. Richard J. Randriamandrato, a candidate from our region, for the position of the AUC Chairperson during the upcoming elections of Senior Leadership of the African Union Commission, in line with the August 2024 Council decision stated above," the letter added.
Despite the SADC call, the campaign team for Kenya’s African Union Commission (AUC) chairmanship candidate, Raila Odinga, remains optimistic. For months, Odinga and Djibouti’s Foreign Minister Mahmoud Ali Youssouf were seen as the frontrunners, but the late endorsement of Randriamandrato could shift the dynamics and make the race more challenging.
Despite doubts now surrounding Raila's AUC chairperson hopes, there is no guarantee yet as to whether the 16 member states will heed the demands of the letter.
This development unfolds as 55 nations gear up to vote for the next AUC chairperson, with the election scheduled for Saturday, February 15, in Ethiopia's capital, Addis Ababa.
To secure victory, one of the three candidates must obtain a two-thirds majority vote from the 55 member states, which amounts to 33 votes.
The election process takes place through a secret ballot during the AU Assembly, where heads of state and government cast their votes.
If no candidate attains a two-thirds majority in the first round, additional rounds are conducted, with later stages potentially requiring only a simple majority.
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