African Union Commission taps Kikwete to lead peace push in Horn of Africa

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The African Union (AU) has appointed former Tanzanian President Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete as its High Representative for the Horn of Africa and the Red Sea.

AU Commission Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf announced the appointment on Wednesday, March 25, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, tasking Kikwete with steering the continental body's response to deepening political, peace and security pressures in a region that sits astride some of the world's busiest trade routes.

The Horn of Africa is among the continent's most volatile zones. Sudan's civil war, which erupted in April 2023, has displaced millions and drawn in regional actors.

Somalia continues to face pressure from the Al-Shabaab militant group, while Ethiopia navigates post-conflict fragility following the Tigray war. Meanwhile, Houthi attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea since late 2023 have disrupted global trade, with the corridor carrying an estimated 12 per cent of world trade through the Suez Canal route.

Kikwete, who led Tanzania from 2005 to 2015 and previously served as the country's Foreign Affairs minister, takes over a role last held by Nigeria's former President Olusegun Obasanjo, who was appointed in August 2021.

Obasanjo's tenure was largely defined by shuttle diplomacy in the Ethiopia-Tigray conflict, a process that yielded a fragile ceasefire but no lasting resolution, a benchmark that will shadow Kikwete's mandate.

Youssouf expressed confidence that Kikwete's experience and leadership "will make a significant contribution to supporting countries in the region... in addressing prevailing challenges and advancing durable peace, stability and prosperity."

The appointment adds to a growing roster of East African figures the AU has leaned on for high-level diplomatic roles.

Kenya's Raila Odinga, who died in October 2025, served as AU High Representative for Infrastructure Development in Africa from 2018 until February 2023, championing continental connectivity.

Kikwete will coordinate with the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), the East African Community (EAC), the League of Arab States and the United Nations, the AU said, as part of efforts to ensure coherence in collective peace and security efforts across the region.