ADDIS ABABA, Jan. 28 (Xinhua) -- Rwandan President Paul Kagame on Sunday took over the chairmanship of the African Union (AU) on Sunday during the 30th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the AU.

Kagame, who leads the supervision of the implementation of AU institutional reforms, is expected to serve his term for a year.

The following are the past chairpersons of the AU in chronological order and their positions when serving as the chairperson.

-- Jan. 2017 to Jan. 2018, Alpha Conde, President of Guinea

-- Jan. 2016 to Jan. 2017, Idriss Deby, President of Chad

-- Jan. 2015 to Jan. 2016, Robert Mugabe, President of Zimbabwe

-- Jan. 2014 to Jan. 2015, Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz, President of Mauritania

-- Jan. 2013 to Jan. 2014, Hailemariam Desalegn, Prime Minister of Ethiopia

-- Jan. 2012 to Jan. 2013, Thomas Yayi Boni, President of Benin

-- Jan. 2011 to Jan. 2012, Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, President of Equatorial Guinea

-- Jan. 2010 to Jan. 2011, Bingu wa Mutharika, President of Malawi

-- Feb. 2009 to Jan. 2010, Muammar Gaddafi, leader of Libya

-- Jan. 2008 to Jan. 2009, Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete, President of Tanzania

-- Jan. 2007 to Jan. 2008, John Kufuor, President of Ghana

-- Jan. 2006 to Jan. 2007, Denis Sassou N'Guesso, President of the Republic of the Congo

-- July 2004 to Dec. 2005, Olusegun Obasanjo, President of Nigeria

-- July 2003 to July 2004, Joaquim Chissano, President of Mozambique

-- July 2002 to July 2003, Thabo Mbeki, President of South Africa.