Overview
- The 39th AU Assembly met on 14–15 February under a water and sanitation theme, formalizing 2026 as the Year of Water and Sanitation to advance Agenda 2063 goals.
- South Africa, working with the AU Commission and AU-AIP, co-hosted a High-Level Leaders Session on 15 February to track financing and delivery of 80 priority water projects presented in Cape Town, which drew interest estimated at USD 10–12 billion per year.
- UN Secretary-General António Guterres told leaders the lack of permanent African seats on the Security Council is indefensible, urged deeper AU-UN cooperation, and cited progress on predictable funding pathways for AU-led peace operations.
- Leaders confronted ongoing crises in Sudan, the DRC and the Sahel, with AU officials acknowledging mediation efforts as observers, including the International Crisis Group, flagged limits in the Union’s capacity to manage concurrent conflicts.
- Burundi is set to assume the AU’s rotating chair for 2026, with President Évariste Ndayishimiye expected to be named chair.