Africa-Press – Angola. The President of the Republic, João Lourenço, arrived this Thursday in Addis Ababa, capital of Ethiopia, to participate in the 36th Summit of Heads of State and Government of the African Union (AU), which begins Saturday.
Upon arrival at Bole International Airport, accompanied by the First Lady, Ana Dias Lourenço, the Statesman was received by the authorities of that country and by an Angolan delegation, headed by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Téte António.
After being re-elected for the second presidential term, following the General Elections of 24 August 2022, President João Lourenço is once again present at the most important Forum for Political Coordination in Africa.
His first appearance at the Headquarters of the African Union (AU), in Addis Ababa, in the guise of Angolan Head of State, took place in 2018.
As part of his peacekeeping efforts on the continent, the Angolan statesman was named “AU Champion for Peace and Reconciliation”, at the Extraordinary Summit on Terrorism and Unconstitutional Changes of Government in Africa, held on May 28, 2022, in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea.
President João Lourenço, as AU Champion for Peace and Reconciliation, is expected to present his first report during the African Union Assembly of Heads of State and Government.
In the (virtual) message broadcast on January 31 (Day of Reconciliation and Peace Building in Africa), at the session of the AU Peace and Security Council, in Addis Ababa, João Lourenço pointed to the trust and unity in the diversity of the peoples of Africa , as a way for the continent to achieve peace and reconciliation, as well as manage and resolve conflicts.
Also as Acting President of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (CIRGL), João Lourenço has promoted quadripartite summits (Angola, DRC, Rwanda and Uganda), devoted to issues of security and regional cooperation.
In this context, President João Lourenço addressed, a few days ago, in Luanda, the situation in the Central African Republic (CAR) with his counterpart from that country, Faustin Touadéra, and the President of Chad, Mahamat Idriss Déby.
The meeting took place within the framework of regular consultations on the peace and security situation in CAR, a country belonging to the Great Lakes region.
In addition to participating in the 36th Summit of the African Union, in Addis Ababa, President João Lourenço plans to meet with other Heads of State and Government and representatives of international organisations.
The 36th Ordinary Session of the AU Assembly of Heads of States and Government is being held this year under the motto: “Accelerating the Implementation of the Continental Free Trade Area (CFTA)”.
The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agreement is expected to create the world’s largest free trade area measured by the number of participating countries.
The pact links 1.3 billion people in 55 countries with a combined gross domestic product (GDP) value of USD 3.4 billion.
Angola formalized, in 2020, its application to join the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), by accepting the terms of the agreement.
This accession requires that, gradually, over the next 12 years, Angola disarms more than 90 percent of its current structure of customs tariffs.
The 36th Ordinary Session of the AU Assembly (Session of Heads of State and Government) is preceded by the 42nd Ordinary Session of the Executive Council (Ministerial Session), to be held on Wednesday and Thursday (15 and 16).
The Summit, scheduled for Saturday and Sunday (18th and 19th), should analyze and approve the strategic reports on the African Union, namely on peace and security, regional integration, economic, financial, social and energy policies, as well as specific thematic matters. .
A special session of the Peace and Security Council of the African Union is scheduled for the 17th, dedicated to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
The opening session of the Summit will feature interventions by the President of Senegal and acting AU, Macky Sall, and the Head of State of the country who will assume the rotating presidency of the continental organization, the Union of Comoros.
The chairman of the African Union Commission, Moussa Faki, should also speak, who may present a report on the situation of peace and security in Africa and the actions undertaken by the organization in relation to the matter.
The African Union (AU), launched in Durban on 9 July 2002, by its first president, the former Head of State of South Africa, Thabo Mbeki, succeeded the Organization of African Unity (OAU), created on 25 May 1963 in Addis Ababa (Ethiopia).
With 55 Member States, the organization aims to promote democracy, peace, human rights and economic development in Africa.
Angola has had an active participation in the main decisions of the organization, through a constant presence in the different organs of the AU, namely the General Assembly, Executive Council, Committee of Permanent Representatives, Peace and Security Council, Specialized Technical Committees, AU Commission, NEPAD/Agency of AU Development, Pan-African Parliament, Peer Review Mechanism and Regional Economic Communities.
For More News And Analysis About Angola Follow Africa-Press
