Pan-African Parliament Caucuses Elect New Leadership Across All Five Regions

In an important move to consolidate its internal governance structures, the Pan-African Parliament has successfully conducted elections for the leadership of its five regional caucuses, in accordance with Rule 83 of its Rules of Procedure.

The caucus elections, held during the ongoing parliamentary engagements in Midrand, reaffirm the central role of regional blocs in shaping the governance, legislative direction, and political balance within the continental legislature.

Rule 83 and the Strategic Role of Caucuses

Rule 83 establishes the five regional caucuses: North, East, Central, West, and Southern Africa comprising all Members from each respective region. These caucuses are not merely administrative groupings, they are critical political organs responsible for nominating candidates for the Bureau, determining committee representation, and coordinating regional positions within the Parliament.

Each caucus elects a Bureau consisting of a Chairperson, Deputy Chairperson, and Rapporteur, forming the leadership structure that drives regional coordination and engagement within the broader parliamentary framework.

Newly Elected Caucus Leadership

Following consultations and internal voting processes, the regional caucuses elected the following members to their respective Bureaus:

Northern Caucus

• Chairperson: Hon. Bawab Yousri (Tunisia)
• Deputy Chairperson: Hon. Aumia Abd El Ghader (Mauritania)
• Rapporteur: Hon. Abdulqadir Hassan Yahia Sulayman (Libya)

East African Caucus

• Chairperson: Hon. Ambassador Emmanuel Lawilla (South Sudan)
• Deputy Chairperson: Hon. Houssein Mohamed Ali (Djibouti)
• Rapporteur: Hon. Mariam Mugunla (Tanzania)

Central African Caucus

• Chairperson: Hon. Juan Roku Enumbie (Equatorial Guinea)
• Deputy Chairperson: Hon. Jean Marie Nibirantije (Burundi)
• Rapporteur: Hon. Martial Fouity Fratteli (Gabon)

Western Caucus

• Chairperson: Hon. Lazare Yao Yao (Côte d’Ivoire)
• Deputy Chairperson: Hon. Rosemarie Bagura (Sierra Leone)
• Rapporteur: Hon. Massamba Dieng (Senegal)

Southern Caucus

• Chairperson: Hon. Pupurai Togarepi (Zimbabwe)
• Deputy Chairperson: Hon. Kgosi Mosadi Seboko (Botswana)
• Rapporteur: Hon. Thabiso Lebese (Lesotho)

Political and Institutional Significance

The emergence of new caucus leadership comes at a critical moment for the Parliament, as it transitions into the operational phase of its Seventh Legislature under the leadership of President Fateh Boutbig.

Regional caucuses are the engines of internal parliamentary politics. They shape voting blocs, influence Bureau dynamics, and determine the balance of power across Africa’s five geopolitical regions. Their role in nominating candidates for the Bureau particularly the President and Vice Presidents—makes them indispensable to the institutional architecture of the Parliament.

Beyond elections, caucuses are also instrumental in:

• Coordinating regional positions on continental policy issues
• Allocating members to Permanent Committees
• Driving legislative and oversight priorities within the Parliament
• Facilitating consensus-building across diverse political and national interests

From Structure to Substance

With caucus leadership now firmly in place, attention will inevitably shift to the next phase: translating political organization into institutional output.

The effectiveness of the Seventh Legislature will depend, to a large extent, on how the regional caucuses rise to the demands of this moment. Their first test lies in managing internal cohesion within increasingly complex and, at times, competing regional interests. As membership expands and political dynamics evolve, maintaining unity within each bloc will require deliberate leadership, disciplined coordination, and a clear sense of shared purpose.

Equally critical will be the ability of the caucuses to engage constructively with the Bureau and the Permanent Committees. This relationship will shape not only the Parliament’s legislative output but also its credibility as a functioning continental institution. Where caucuses act as bridges rather than battlegrounds between regional priorities and institutional objectives, the Parliament stands to gain in coherence and effectiveness.

At the same time, these caucuses will find themselves at the centre of ongoing debates that go to the heart of the Parliament’s future: questions of institutional autonomy within the African Union system, the scope and pace of governance reforms, and the long-standing push to expand the Parliament’s legislative authority. How they navigate these issues whether through consensus-building or confrontation will significantly influence the trajectory of the institution.

Ultimately, the true measure of their effectiveness will be their ability to align regional interests with the broader continental vision embodied in Agenda 2063. This requires moving beyond narrow national or regional considerations to embrace a more strategic, Pan-African outlook one that translates political coordination into tangible outcomes for African citizens.

A Test of Institutional Maturity

These elections are more than a procedural requirement they are a test of the Parliament’s evolving maturity as a continental legislative body.

If effectively coordinated, the newly elected caucus leadership could serve as the backbone of a more assertive, coherent, and strategically aligned Pan-African Parliament. If not, they risk becoming fragmented political platforms that mirror, rather than transcend, the divisions within the African Union system.

The coming weeks particularly around committee composition, legislative programming, and inter-caucus collaboration will reveal whether this new leadership structure can deliver on its promise.

One thing is clear: the real work of the Seventh Legislature has now begun.