New Chairperson and members of the bureau elected at AU Assembly meeting

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia, January 30, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ -- This morning marked the official opening of the 22ndOrdinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of States and Governments of the African Union.

The Dean of the Diplomatic Corps, the Ambassador of the Democratic Republic of Congo announced the results of the electionto the Assembly.

The new Chairperson of the African Union is Mr Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz, President of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania.He replaces former Chairperson Mr. Hailemariam Dessalegn, Prime Minister of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia.

Zimbabwe was elected as first Vice President, the second Vice Presidency went to the Democratic Republic of Congo and the third Vice President is Nigeria. Ethiopia was designated as Rapporteur.