Following the just concluded thirty-nineth (39th) Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union (AU), at Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, new leaders have been elected at the gathering which the United Nation’s Secretary-General, António Guterres urged for sustainable peace and security across the continent.
The two-day summit under the theme “Assuring Sustainable Water Availability and Safe Sanitation Systems to Achieve the Goals of Agenda 2063,” saw the election of a new Chair for the Union for the year 2026 with strong messages on the urgent need for peace and institutional reforms.
The President of Burundi, H.E. President Évariste Ndayishimiye was formally elected as the Chairperson of the Union for the year 2026, taking over the rotating leadership from Angola’s João Lourenço.
The composition of the new bureau includes Chair of the African Union – The Republic of Burundi, (Central), First Vice – Ghana, (West), Second Vice – Tanzania, (East), Third Vice – To be confirmed, (North Africa Region) and Rapporteur – Angola, (South), respectively.
Established in 2002 to replace the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), the AU is a continental intergovernmental organisation consisting of 55 member states.
Headquartered in Addis Ababa its overarching vision is “an integrated, prosperous and peaceful Africa, driven by its own citizens.”
The body has as its core objectives as unity and solidarity, peace and security, sustainable development and good governance.
At the occasion, Guterres stressed the curial place of peace and security across Africa adding that it remains vital to global stability.
The Secretary-General highlighted the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) Resolution 2719 as a major step forward, creating a framework for African Union-led peace support operations authorised by the UNSC and funded through assessed contributions.
“Strengthening cooperation between the UN and African partners remains essential to protecting civilians, preventing conflict, and supporting sustainable peace,” he emphasised.
He highlighted Africa’s growing influence in global affairs, reaffirmed the need for the UNSC reform (including stronger African representation), and emphasised support for Africa’s development goals, industrialisation and equitable access to financing.
Earlier, Guterres stressed the need for developing strong partnerships between the UN and AU to address complex conflicts across the continent.
