African Heads of State and Government have officially opened the 39th African Union Summit at the AU Headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
The two-day 39th Ordinary Session of the Assembly began with the formal launch of the AU’s 2026 theme: “Assuring Sustainable Water Availability and Safe Sanitation Systems to Achieve the Goals of Agenda 2063.” The theme underscores growing concern over water security and sanitation challenges across the continent.
International participation remains strong, with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, and Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammed Mustafa among global leaders attending, reflecting heightened engagement with Africa’s development priorities.
Meanwhile, Burundi’s President, Évariste Ndayishimiye, has been elected Chairperson of the African Union, taking over the rotational leadership from Angola’s President João Lourenço. In his inaugural address, he pledged to mobilise private sector support to advance the summit’s 2026 theme, drawing on Burundi’s experience in tackling development challenges.
