AUC

The African Union Commission (AUC) is the executive and administrative arm of the African Union (AU), headquartered in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. It was established alongside the AU itself when the Constitutive Act of the African Union (adopted 2000, entered into force 2001) replaced the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) in 2002. The Commission functions as the AU's permanent secretariat, preparing meetings, executing decisions of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government and the Executive Council, managing the AU budget, and representing the Union externally.

The AUC is led by a Chairperson, elected by the Assembly for a four-year term renewable once, and a Deputy Chairperson. Beneath them sit Commissioners holding portfolios such as Political Affairs, Peace and Security; Economic Development, Trade, Tourism, Industry and Mining; Infrastructure and Energy; Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy and Sustainable Environment; Health, Humanitarian Affairs and Social Development; and Education, Science, Technology and Innovation. The portfolio structure was streamlined under the institutional reform process championed by Rwandan President Paul Kagame, with a reduced number of Commissioners taking effect from the 2021 leadership cycle.

Past Chairpersons include Alpha Oumar Konaré of Mali (2003–2008), Jean Ping of Gabon (2008–2012), Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma of South Africa (2012–2017), and Moussa Faki Mahamat of Chad (2017–2025). Mahmoud Ali Youssouf of Djibouti was elected Chairperson in February 2025.

The AUC works alongside other AU organs including the Peace and Security Council (PSC), the Pan-African Parliament, the African Court on Human and Peoples' Rights, and NEPAD/AUDA. It coordinates flagship initiatives such as Agenda 2063, the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) implementation support, and the Silencing the Guns agenda. Note that the acronym AUC is also used for the demobilised Colombian paramilitary group Autodefensas Unidas de Colombia — context matters.