ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia – African leaders have elected Évariste Ndayishimiye as Chairperson of the African Union (AU) for 2026, as the continental bloc opened its 39th Ordinary Session with a rallying call for unity, institutional reform, and urgent action on water security.
The two-day summit at the AU headquarters in Addis Ababa is being held under the theme: “Assuring Sustainable Water Availability and Safe Sanitation Systems to Achieve the Goals of Agenda 2063.”
President Ndayishimiye takes over the rotating leadership from João Lourenço of Angola.
Water as a Political and Strategic Priority
Opening the Assembly, Chairperson of the AU Commission Mahmoud Ali Youssouf framed access to water as a collective good that underpins peace, development and public health.
He said the summit comes at a time of mounting geopolitical turbulence marked by persistent conflicts, institutional fragility and a resurgence of unconstitutional changes of government in parts of the continent.
Against what he described as weakening multilateralism and rising global polarization, Youssouf urged member states to accelerate political and economic integration in line with Agenda 2063.
“Institutional reform and financial self-reliance are now imperative as external funding declines,” he said, calling for stronger domestic resource mobilization and faster implementation of flagship continental programmes in industrialization, agriculture, energy and infrastructure.
He also acknowledged growing expectations among Africa’s youth, women and civil society, stressing that the current decade must deliver measurable results.
Outgoing Chair Reflects on Year in Office
President Lourenço, reflecting on Angola’s tenure at the helm of the AU, highlighted progress in advancing continental integration through the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), mobilising infrastructure investment and promoting internal reforms aimed at improving efficiency within the Union.
On peace and security, he stressed that Africa’s development depends on “silencing the guns,” pointing to conflicts in Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, as well as terrorism in the Sahel and the Horn of Africa.
He reaffirmed the AU’s rejection of unconstitutional changes of government and warned against legitimising coups through subsequent elections.
Call for Africa to Shape Global Agenda
Host leader Abiy Ahmed urged African states to move from reacting to global events to actively shaping them, especially as the AU approaches its 25th anniversary.
He called for unity, confidence and greater continental influence in global affairs, arguing that sovereignty includes owning Africa’s narrative and technological future.
Abiy cited Ethiopia’s establishment of an Artificial Intelligence institute and plans for an AI university as examples of forward-looking development aligned with Agenda 2063.
UN-AU Partnership in Focus
Addressing the summit, António Guterres underscored the need to strengthen the strategic partnership between the United Nations and the African Union.
He reaffirmed support for reform of the UN Security Council, including stronger African representation, and called for equitable access to financing, industrialisation and sustainable development support for African countries.
New Bureau for 2026
The composition of the new Bureau of the Assembly for 2026 is as follows:
- Chair – Republic of Burundi (Central Region)
- First Vice – Ghana (West Region)
- Second Vice – Tanzania (East Region)
- Third Vice – To be confirmed (North Africa Region)
- Rapporteur – Angola (Southern Region)
Deliberations are set to continue with discussions centred on water security and sanitation, alongside pressing peace and security concerns across the continent.
