An Interview with Mohammad Abouzaid, Chief of Staff, African Union

Would you introduce yourself please?

My name is Mohammad Abouzaid, Egyptian, and currently the Chief of Staff of the African Union. I’m a sophomore here at Georgetown. I have attended several MUN conferences in many places such as St. Petersburg, Russia; Rome, Italy; and Ankara, Turkey.

Tell us a bit about Georgetown and how you got here.

I graduated from a military boarding school in the United States. Originally I planned to go to Italy for college. However, I decided to come to Qatar. Georgetown is one of the best Universities in the world and anyone will be lucky to attend it. Being in Qatar is an exceptional experience as Qatar is undergoing rapid development.

What do you think of your committee? Is it boring?

No, it’s not boring at all. It’s very exciting as there is a lot of heated debate. Right now, we already have three draft resolutions ready for debate. I don’t think any of the other committees have that many yet. In fact, I think by the end of the conference, the African Union will be one of, if not the, most successful committee due to the caliber of the delegates and the issues that are being discussed.  And of course, most delegates are participating actively. If someone’s not, we’re gonna start picking on them; I’m joking.

What about real Africans in the committee? Do you think they’re more concerned?

Well, we do have real Sudanese delegates, and since The Situation of the separation of the North and South and the issue of IDPs. They’re really involved and they’re talking to other delegates, making them more informed about the real situation.

Since you’re Egyptian, What are your thoughts on what’s happening right now in your country?

Well, I’m pro-Mubarak on the protests. Whether Mubarak is right or wrong that is not the issue right now. All presidents have their pros and cons. However, what I’m against is the ousting of President Mubarak in such a humiliating manner. Personally, I want economic and political reform, but then again who doesn’t? Nonetheless, I would like my president to end his term honorably after serving for 30 years.

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