The 48th Ordinary Session of the African Union (AU) Executive Council opened in Addis Ababa with urgent calls for stronger continental unity, sustainable water systems, and homegrown economic models capable of withstanding global turbulence and delivering on Agenda 2063. The meeting brought together foreign affairs ministers ahead of the 39th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government under the 2026 theme: “Ensuring Sustainable Water Availability and Safe Sanitation Systems to Achieve the Goals of Agenda 2063.”
Represented by Amb. Olivier Nduhungirehe, Rwanda highlighted water security, regional peace, and economic integration as key national and continental priorities. Speakers reframed water and sanitation as strategic economic infrastructure, critical for industrialization, agro-processing, and overall productivity. Claver Gatete, Executive Secretary of the UN Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), noted that more than 300 million Africans lack safe drinking water, while 780 million lack adequate sanitation, warning that infrastructure delays directly constrain production and industrial growth.
The session also addressed Africa’s geopolitical challenges. Ethiopia’s Foreign Minister, Gedion Timotheos, urged stronger AU unity to protect the continent from external pressures. AU Commission Chairperson Mahmoud Youssouf highlighted ongoing conflicts and terrorist threats in the Sahel and Horn of Africa, while the AU’s mediation in the DRC-Rwanda conflict was cited as part of broader continental peace efforts.
Financial reform featured prominently. Angola’s Ambassador Téte António, Chairperson of the Executive Council, called for a new, fairer scale of member state contributions based on solidarity and capacity to pay. He emphasized that financial autonomy is vital for reducing dependence on external funding and enabling the AU to defend Africa’s collective interests.
