Africa-Press – Angola. President João Lourenço left on Thursday (11) for Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, where he will participate in the 39th Conference of Heads of State and Government of the African Union (AU), a meeting that marks the end of the Angolan presidency of the continental organization and the beginning of the 2026/27 work agenda, focused on the theme of water and sanitation.
Upon leaving Luanda, the Angolan Head of State, accompanied by the First Lady of the Republic, Ana Dias Lourenço, were bid farewell by the Vice-President of the Republic, Esperança da Costa, and other members of the state apparatus.
The 39th AU summit takes place Feb 14 and 15 in Addis Ababa, the Ethiopian capital and headquarters of the pan-African organization.
João Lourenço has been the leader of the AU since Feb 2025, following his statutory election by the Southern Africa region, in which Angola is included.
The Addis Ababa meeting will formalize the transition of leadership of the AU to Burundi, which will assume the rotating presidency of the organization until Feb 2027, after having served as first vice-president for the past 12 months, in accordance with the institution’s statutes and regulations.
With the end of its mandate, Angola joins the group of countries that have already presided over the African Union, successor to the Organization of African Unity (OAU), founded in the 1960s with the aim of supporting liberation struggles and promoting the independence of African peoples then under colonial rule.
Official sources consider that the Angolan mandate contributed to strengthening the continent’s international projection and consolidating the organization’s role in responding to political and diplomatic challenges in Africa.
