Angolan President João Lourenço has been elected as the new chairperson of the African Union (AU), succeeding Mauritania’s Mohamed Cheikh El Ghazouani. Lourenço will serve a one-year term, during which he pledges to prioritize infrastructure development, improve power supply, and address key issues affecting Africans’ living conditions.
In his acceptance speech at the AU Assembly in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Lourenço outlined plans to enhance airports, ports, railways, and energy access while tackling peace and security challenges across the continent. He called for cooperation among member states to address conflicts, terrorism, climate change, and disease outbreaks.
Angola is assuming the AU chairmanship for the first time, as the role rotates annually among Africa’s five regions. Lourenço’s leadership coincides with the AU’s 2025 theme, “Justice for Africans and People of African Descent through Reparations.” This initiative aims to push forward the reparatory justice agenda and ensure accountability for historical injustices.
Ghana’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, emphasized the importance of dedicating 2025 to reparatory justice, calling it a milestone in the fight for equity and recognition of past wrongs against Africans and people of African descent.
