Africa-Press – Angola. Luanda will host an extraordinary session of the African Union’s Conference of Heads of State and Government this year. The session will analyze ways to respond to threats to peace, security and development on the continent.
The information was released on Saturday in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, by the Angolan president and outgoing AU chairperson, João Lourenço, in his speech reviewing his 12 months at the head of the continental organization.
Lourenço said he was convinced that this initiative could contribute significantly to strengthening the mechanisms and means of preventing, managing and resolving conflicts in Africa. He also expressed concern about the recent emergence of new phenomena that should not be legitimized or endorsed by the Peace and Security Council of the African Union.
“When we talk about the need to restore constitutional order after a power grab by unconstitutional means, we are not saying that it is restored as soon as the coup perpetrators hold and win elections,” said Lourenço.
According to the Angolan Head of State, this is a way of legitimizing an illegitimate act that is unfortunately beginning to be seen as normal and therefore acceptable, when in reality it threatens the continent’s peace and security.
“This cannot become the new normal for achieving power because it would indirectly encourage coups d’état and normalize them,” he said.
Luanda Biennial
He noted that Angola’s contribution to stability, peace and harmony on the continent includes holding the Pan-African Forum for a Culture of Peace and Non-Violence in Africa, also known as the Luanda Biennial, held every two years.
This event provides a platform for dialogue, reflection and collaboration, uniting political leaders, academics, artists and civil society representatives to foster peace, tolerance and solidarity among African communities.
The Head of State announced that the fourth edition of this event will take place in October, in partnership with the African Union and UNESCO, under the theme: ‘Strengthening Water Governance in Africa as a Tool for Conflict Prevention, Mediation, and Resolution’, in line with the continental organization’s chosen motto for 2026.
The Angolan president invited African leaders to participate actively in this important event in Luanda and appealed to Member States to adopt more responsible, inclusive and forward-looking governance, so that our institutions reflect the collective will and inspire confidence among our youth in our shared endeavour.
He emphasized that Africa possesses the necessary resources, knowledge and political will to transform its challenges into opportunities, provided there is coherence in action, responsibility in implementation and solidarity among states.
Defense of Multilateralism
João Lourenço emphasized that we are living in an era of global geopolitical reconfiguration. He added that this makes it essential for Africa to adopt robust and unified positions on critical issues such as climate change, health, human rights, peace, food security, and multilateralism. He stressed that multilateralism is the most crucial tool for restoring world order.
He noted that the current geopolitical context, characterized by the weakening of global governance institutions, has hindered the positive progress made in multilateralism in recent decades.
João Lourenço acknowledged that this fragility is particularly acute in Africa, compelling all to redouble efforts to defend the interests of the peoples and nations, having stressed the need to continue building a stable, integrated Africa where conflicts are prevented and resolved by robust and consistent African mechanisms.
Global Summit for Investment in Africa
President João Lourenço reiterated the holding, at the end of this year, in Luanda, of the Global Summit for Investment in Africa, thus demonstrating that Africa is capable of mobilizing, planning and acting collectively to build the solid foundations for a better future.
According to the statesman, the initiatives aim to emphasize the acceleration of the implementation and operationalization of the African Continental Free Trade Area as a true engine of economic and social transformation in Africa.
The Angolan president added that this flagship project of the African Union’s Agenda 2063 has the potential to strengthen the AU as a bloc in a world marked by increasing polarization and contribute to the promotion of meaningful integration, which remains one of the main pillars of collective action.
João Lourenço expressed his conviction to continue working together on multiplying transnational transport and energy infrastructure projects “to connect our peoples and our markets, similar to the important investment that my country has made with the Lobito Corridor, to cite just one example.”
He acknowledged that without roads, ports, and adequate digital and energy networks, without consistent infrastructure, integration will remain an unattainable dream.
Recognizing that Africa must play a central role in the global transformation to protect its strategic, structural and existential interests, João Lourenço represented the continent at the G20 Summit, the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD), the EU-AU Summit, the Financing for Development Conference in Seville and the UN General Assembly in New York.
He stressed that participation in these events was extremely important for Africa, considering that it enabled the continent to take advantage of these occasions to defend Africa’s common position on vital issues, such as reforming the International Finance Architecture to make it more inclusive, effective, and adapted to current challenges.”
