{"id":2672,"date":"2026-05-26T11:58:02","date_gmt":"2026-05-26T11:58:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.amn.gov.et\/en\/?p=2672"},"modified":"2026-05-26T11:58:04","modified_gmt":"2026-05-26T11:58:04","slug":"african-union-leaders-issue-joint-africa-day-call-for-unity-reform-and-a-renewed-commitment-to-agenda-2063","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.amn.gov.et\/en\/african-union-leaders-issue-joint-africa-day-call-for-unity-reform-and-a-renewed-commitment-to-agenda-2063\/","title":{"rendered":"African Union Leaders Issue Joint Africa Day Call for Unity, Reform, and a Renewed Commitment to Agenda 2063"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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AMN PLUS-May 26, 2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the occasion of Africa Day 2026, H.E. Mr. Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, Chairperson of the African Union Commission (AUC), and \u00c9variste Ndayishimiye, President of the Republic of Burundi and the Chairperson of the African Union, have issued a united call for accelerated integration, global governance reform, and concrete action to uplift every African citizen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Marking 63 years since the founding of the Organization of African Unity (OAU) \u2013 the precursor to the African Union (AU) \u2013 this year\u2019s celebrations are held under the theme: \u201cSixty-three (63) Years of Unity, Integration and Development, Let’s Celebrate Together.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In his statement, AUC Chairperson Youssouf underscored Africa\u2019s growing prominence in international affairs, highlighted by the continent\u2019s permanent membership in the G20. He reiterated the AU\u2019s demand for a \u201cfairer and more representative multilateral system,\u201d including comprehensive reform of the United Nations Security Council to correct \u201clong-standing historical injustice against our continent.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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AUC Chairperson Youssouf also welcomed global momentum on reparatory justice, commending Ghana\u2019s leadership at the United Nations General Assembly in advancing the conversation on reparations and the enduring legacy of slavery and colonialism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

President Ndayishimiye, in his address, struck a sobering note, reminding the continent that celebration must coexist with collective awareness. He spoke directly to the millions of Africans enduring armed conflict, terrorism, climate disasters, and displacement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAn African child deprived of education today is a part of Africa\u2019s future that we are abandoning tomorrow,\u201d President Ndayishimiye said. He called for education to be prioritized alongside humanitarian aid in refugee and internally displaced persons (IDP) settings, and urged stronger continental unity against terrorism, stating: \u201cNo country should be left alone to face this peril.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Both leaders reaffirmed their commitment to the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) as a vehicle for economic sovereignty, youth employment, and industrialization. President Ndayishimiye called on all African leaders to \u201cspeak with one voice\u201d and place continental interests above narrow national concerns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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AUC Chairperson Youssouf highlighted the 2026 AU Theme of the Year: “Assuring Sustainable Water Availability and Safe Sanitation Systems to Achieve the Goals of Agenda 2063,” noting that water security, climate resilience, and public health are foundational to Africa\u2019s future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a moment of celebration, AUC Chairperson Youssouf noted that nine African national teams have qualified for the FIFA World Cup \u2013 the continent\u2019s highest representation in history \u2013 reflecting the talent and ambition of Africa\u2019s youth, Both leaders expressed gratitude to AU staff, diplomats, partners, and friends of Africa for their solidarity. President Ndayishimiye concluded: \u201cLong live a united Africa! Long live the African Union and happy Africa Day to all.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

AUC Chairperson Youssouf invoked the spirit of Ubuntu \u2013 \u201cI am because we are\u201d \u2013 urging all Africans to renew their faith in Pan-Africanism and the limitless potential of the continent\u2019s people, according to African union.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

AMN PLUS-May 26, 2026 On the occasion of Africa Day 2026, H.E. Mr. Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, Chairperson of the African Union Commission (AUC), and \u00c9variste Ndayishimiye, President of the Republic of Burundi and the Chairperson of the African Union, have issued a united call for accelerated integration, global governance reform, and concrete action to uplift […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"cybocfi_hide_featured_image":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[5,11],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2672","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-africa","category-politics","entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.amn.gov.et\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2672","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.amn.gov.et\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.amn.gov.et\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.amn.gov.et\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.amn.gov.et\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2672"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.amn.gov.et\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2672\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2677,"href":"https:\/\/www.amn.gov.et\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2672\/revisions\/2677"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.amn.gov.et\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2672"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.amn.gov.et\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2672"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.amn.gov.et\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2672"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}