Africa-Press – Angola. President João Lourenço returned to the country on Sunday (15) after attending the African Union (AU) Summit, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, in which he finished his one-year term at the helm of the continental organisation.
On February 14 and 15 it was held the 39th Summit of African Heads of State and Government, in which Angola handed over the AU pro tempore presidency to the Republic of Burundi.
On his arrival in Luanda, João Lourenço, accompanied by the First Lady, Ana Dias Lourenço, was welcomed back home by Vice President Esperança da Costa, as well as by other officials of the Angolan State.
Angola’s presidency of the AU ended with a broadly positive balance. João Lourenço’s work at the helm of the continental organisation is being hailed as having been very active, visible and influential.
The Angolan Head of State formally passed the continental portfolio to the new AU Chairman, the President of Burundi, Évariste Ndayishimiye.
In his assessment speech, João Lourenço reiterated that the promotion of peace, security and stability was the focus of his action as AU head. He went on to stress that any effort aimed at the construction of Africa is dependent on the silencing of weapons.
The Angolan statesman warned that Africans cannot accept as a “new normal” the seizing of power through Coup d’Etáts, followed by the holding of elections to legitimate unconstitutional acts. Thus, he defended sterner stances in the defence of constitutional order and democratic principles, so as to avoid institutional breakdowns throughout the continent of Africa.
He also seized the occasion to remind participants that sustainable access to water and sanitation is a strategic priority for Africa’s development and essential condition for the achievement of the Agenda2063. On the same occasion, João Lourenço proposed the holding in Luanda of an extraordinary session dedicated to the analysis of threats to peace and security in Africa.
The Angolan Head of State reaffirmed the need for reforms in the international financial architecture and in the United Nations System, particulalry the Security Council, to better reflect the current geo-political reality.
In his last speech as Acting Chairperson of the African Union, João Lourenço emphasised that Africa has to position itself as a central player in the redefinition of the world order, so it can better defend its strategic goals.
