GNV News February 19, 2025
 
From February 15 to 16, 2025, the 38th African Union Ordinary Summit was held at the African Union (AU) headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The AU is one of the world’s largest regional organizations, comprising 55 African countries and regions, and since 2019 it has held its summit once a year. At this summit, Mahamoud Ali Youssouf, who serves as foreign minister of the Republic of Djibouti in East Africa, was elected chairperson of the AU Commission for a four-year term. 
 
The theme announced as the AU’s intensive focus in 2025 was the reparations issue for historical injustices stemming from slavery, colonial rule, and other experiences endured by people living in Africa. Heads of state and government formally announced the theme as “Reparatory justice for Africans and people of African descent,” emphasizing the need to rectify historical inequalities. 
 
Furthermore, at the meeting, the situation in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo was also one of the key agenda items. Fighting between rebel forces and government troops has intensified in the region, and on the 16th, during the summit, the provincial capital of South Kivu, Bukavu, was occupied by the rebels. In response to this situation, the AU expressed concern that the Democratic Republic of the Congo could fall into further turmoil, potentially leading to the country’s fragmentation or collapse. There are growing calls to strengthen measures to stabilize the region and to establish peacekeeping frameworks. 
 
Learn more about the issues facing the Democratic Republic of the Congo → “A tragedy unknown to the world: Democratic Republic of the Congo”
Learn more about the current situation in East Africa → “The world’s worst drought in East Africa that goes unreported”

Opening ceremony of the 38th AU Ordinary Summit (Photo: Paul Kagame / Flickr [CC BY-NC-ND 2.0])