Immediately after the announcement of the final verdict of the race for the vice-presidency of the African Union Commission, snatched with forceps, using suitcases of oil and petrodollars, the Algerian propaganda machine went into overdrive to claim victory.
“Algeria snatches the vice-presidency of the African Commission. Selma Malika Haddadi, Algeria’s ambassador to Addis Ababa and its permanent representative to the African Union, won a landslide victory to the detriment of the Moroccan candidate,” shouted the regime’s flatterers, in a concert of collective hysteria, displaying – like a war trophy! – this real false victory… against Morocco!
This siren song, however, calls for some necessary remarks. At first glance, the electoral process for the vice-presidency of the African Commission ended after six close rounds with results sometimes tied and sometimes with gaps of 2 to 4 votes at most. And as the procedure requires, in the sixth round the Algerian candidate, left alone in the race, had to win 2/3 of the votes to be elected.
In terms of background, vision and relevance, as well as the quality of the presentation made before the Heads of State, the Moroccan candidate, Latifa Akherbach, outclassed the other candidates, notably the Algerian Selma Malika Haddadi, and this, all the delegations present noted. From then on, one wonders if the suitcase policy succeeded in making up for the Algerian candidate’s deficiency.
If Morocco’s candidacy for the Vice-Presidency was not a success, Morocco remains, however, a present actor within the AU Commission, notably, in the person of the diplomat Fathallah Sijilmassi, Director General of the AU “government” and therefore the number 3 of this strategic body.
In addition, the presidency of the African Commission was won hands down by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Djiboutian Ali Mahmoud Youssef, who comes from a country that supports the territorial integrity of the Kingdom and has opened a Consulate General in Dakhla.
The position of Vice-President remains purely administrative and does not carry the political weight that is attached to the position of President of the Commission.