Deteriorating security in some African nations is eroding progress, Djibouti Foreign Minister and candidate for the African Union Mahamoud Ali Youssouf warned in an interview with AFP on Wednesday.
Africa has seen a spate of coups in recent years, leaving the international community worried, with the impact of climate change exacerbating tensions.
"The continent is experiencing many difficulties at the moment," Youssouf, a candidate for the top job at the African Union, said in an interview in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa.
Since 2020, there have been coups in the Sahel countries of Mali, Guinea and Burkina Faso.
In the north, Sudan has been locked in a civil war since April 2023, killing tens of thousands and displacing millions more.
"I believe there is a problem of governance in these countries," Youssouf said.
The challenges are holding back Africa's development, he added, stating that the bloc's new commission must "start with peace and security" in order to realise goals that include creating a continent-wide free trade zone.
However, he expressed some optimism, notably over Africa "taking its place on the international stage," a reference to the AU's membership in the G20 -- and desire for two permanent seats on the UN Security Council.
He declined to be drawn on the recent election of Donald Trump in the United States, noting any policy put forward by his team will be judged "without having any prejudices".
During his first term in office, Trump reportedly referred to Haiti and African nations as "shithole countries" during a closed-door meeting at the White House, provoking worldwide outcry.
Youssouf, 59, has been foreign minister of the tiny but strategic Horn of Africa nation Djibouti since 2005.
He will face competition for the AU job -- currently held by Moussa Faki Mahamat -- from veteran Kenyan opposition leader Raila Odinga and Madagascar's Richard Randriamandrato.
The election will take place by secret ballot during the February 2025 summit of the pan-African body.
By Dylan Gamba