The President of Burundi, H.E. Évariste Ndayishimiye, has been formally elected as the Chairperson of the African Union (AU) for the year 2026.
He assumes the rotating leadership role from Angola’s João Lourenço during the 39th Ordinary Session of the AU Assembly of Heads of State and Government in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Ghana’s President John Dramani Mahama was elected as the First Vice Chair.
In his remarks, Chairperson H.E. Mahmoud Ali Youssouf centred his attention on the summit’s 2026 theme, focusing on water and sanitation.
He characterised access to water as a vital public good indispensable for development and peace.
The Chairperson underscored the continent’s pressing challenges, including persistent conflicts, institutional fragility, and a surge in unconstitutional government changes, emphasising that these issues coincide with waning multilateralism and rising global polarisation.
H.E. Youssouf encouraged Member States to expedite political and economic integration in accordance with Agenda 2063, Africa’s framework for sustainable development.
The two-day summit was convened under the theme “Assuring Sustainable Water Availability and Safe Sanitation Systems to Achieve the Goals of Agenda 2063”.
The new Bureau of the AU Assembly of Heads of State and Government for 2026 is as follows:
Chairperson – Burundi (Central Africa)
First Vice – Ghana; President John Dramani Mahama (West Africa)
Second Vice – Tanzania (East Africa)
Third Vice – To be confirmed (North Africa Region)
Rapporteur – Angola (Southern Africa)
