Tanzania: President Kikwete voted new African Union chairman

(SomaliNet) Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete won the rotating chairmanship of the African Union (AU) on Thursday, succeeding Ghana\'s president John Kufuor.

The 53-nation organisation is holding a summit in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa under the shadow of a violent standoff in Kenya between government and opposition supporters over a disputed election.

An East African country was due to take the AU\'s rotating presidency this year.

Sudan was rumoured to be considering a new bid after being ruled out last year over member countries\' concerns about violence in its western Darfur region.

Before this week\'s summit, Sudanese delegates said they would support Kikwete for the top job.-Reuters