African leaders have welcomed the unanimous decision of the G20 to admit the African Union as its permanent member, with most hailing it as an opportunity for the huge and resource-rich continent to further its agenda on the global stage. On Saturday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, as the host of the G20 Summit in New Delhi, announced the inclusion of the African Union (AU) as a permanent member of the grouping. African leaders affirmed Modi's view in their reactions to how the inclusion of Africa as the 21st member of the G20, which the AU had been requesting for several years now, would boost the continent's efforts to have a more effective voice in addressing global challenges. Moussa Faki Mahamat, chairperson of the AU Commission, which is the AU's secretariat and undertakes the day-to-day activities of the Union, welcomed the bloc's entry into the G20 as a full member. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, the previous chair of the AU, was among the first African leaders to share the decision announced by Modi. Kenya's President Willaim Ruto also welcomed the African Union's inclusion in the G20. Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi hailed the admission of the African Union (AU) as a full member of G20. The G20, founded in 1999 in response to global economic crises, had until now only granted observer status to the AU.