AU: When the Presidency and the Commission speak with one voice in the face of the many crises shaking the continent
On the eve of a high‑level virtual meeting devoted to the resurgence of the Ebola epidemic on the continent, the President of the Republic of Burundi and current Chairperson of the African Union, Évariste Ndayishimiye, received the Chairperson of the AU Commission, Mahamoud Ali Youssouf, in audience. This meeting, held at the Ntare Rushatsi Palace in Gitega, was far more than a mere exchange of courtesies. It embodied the determination of both leaders to strengthen the institutional coordination of the African Union in the face of the multiple and pressing challenges assailing the continent.
The virtual meeting of June 16, 2026, which brings together African heads of state and government as well as the main partners of the continent, provides the immediate context for this audience.
Faced with the worrying resurgence of the Ebola virus in certain African regions, the AU Chairpersonship deemed it imperative to mobilize a collective, coordinated, and united response.
It was in this spirit that Ndayishimiye and Youssouf harmonized their views, in order to present a united front and a shared vision before their peers.
Beyond the health emergency, the two leaders reviewed the full range of structural challenges confronting Africa.
The implementation of Agenda 2063 Africa’s roadmap towards its emergence occupied a central place in their exchanges.
Accelerating regional and continental integration, promoting sustainable development, and strengthening the economic resilience of African states in the face of global turbulence were also at the heart of the discussions.
Matters of peace, security, and stability were not overlooked. The two officials reaffirmed the need to continue efforts in conflict prevention, the fight against terrorism and violent extremism, and the consolidation of African mediation mechanisms.
On a continent where several hotspots of tension persist, this shared determination to promote African solutions to African problems takes on particular resonance.
This audience eloquently illustrates the convergence of views between the AU Chairpersonship and its Commission.
It testifies to an ongoing dynamic of consultation between the organs of the continental institution essential for strengthening African leadership on the global stage.
For that is precisely what is at stake: building, step by step and together, a united, peaceful, prosperous, and resilient Africa, worthy of the deep aspirations of its peoples.
Sam ORIGUI
