Africa-Press – South-Sudan. ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (Eye Radio) – The 48th Ordinary Session of the African Union (AU) Executive Council opened on Wednesday at the AU Headquarters, with a high-level delegation from the Republic of South Sudan taking a prominent role in the proceedings.
Leading the delegation, Ambassador Monday Semaya K. Kumba, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, joined fellow ministers to shape the continental agenda under the 2026 theme: “Assuring Sustainable Water Availability and Safe Sanitation Systems to Achieve the Goals of Agenda 2063.”
The Minister, who was accompanied by Amb. Baak Valentino Wol, South Sudan’s Ambassador to Ethiopia, and a technical team from the Embassy, participated in the session as a critical precursor to the upcoming 39th Ordinary Session of the AU Assembly (AU Summit).
Minister Kumba participated in the pivotal elections for members of the AU Peace and Security Council, the African Commission on Human and People’s Rights, and the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child.
For his part, in his keynote address, the Chairperson of the AU Commission, Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, framed the year’s theme as a diplomatic necessity rather than a purely technical challenge.
“In the face of climate disruptions, the prudent use of water is a major imperative,” Youssouf stated. “This resource must be perceived as a collective good… and as a vector for bringing our States closer together and for peace.”
The Chairperson also underscored the momentum of institutional reforms, highlighting the 2024-2028 strategic plan and ongoing collaborations with H.E. William Ruto, the AU Champion for Institutional Reform.
The Council reviewed the continent’s complex security landscape, with Youssouf celebrating the return to constitutional order in Gabon and Guinea, while expressing concern over setbacks in Madagascar and Guinea-Bissau.
On the economic front, Mr. Claver Gatete, Executive Secretary of the UNECA, emphasized that Africa must move away from commodity-reliant models and urged member states to utilize the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) as the central engine for a self-reliant continental economic system.
As the 48th Ordinary Session concludes, the Executive Council is finalizing the draft agenda and decisions to be presented to the Heads of State and Government during the 39th Ordinary Session of the Assembly, scheduled for February 14-15.
The active participation of South Sudan’s leadership reinforces the nation’s commitment to “The Africa We Want,” ensuring regional priorities are represented in the final summit declarations.
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