Also known as: the African Union summit · African Union summit · African Union Assembly of Heads of State
Intergovernmental organization of African states that addresses continent-wide issues including peace and security financing, social protection, accurate map representation, and reparations advocacy.
Key points drawn from coverage. Tap a point to see the original sentence.
September 2026
The Namibian
The African Unionwelcomeda UN General Assembly resolution calling for more accurate Africa representation on maps
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“The African Union has welcomed a recent United Nations General Assembly resolution calling for a more accurate representation of Africa on world maps.”
African Unionhostedfirst African Drought Conference in 2016 with Namibia and UNCCD
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“She said Namibia, together with the African Union and the UNCCD, hosted the first African Drought Conference in 2016, which produced the Windhoek Declaration for Enhancing Resilience to Drought and the strategic framework for drought risk management and enhancing resilience in Africa, advancing the vision of a drought-resilient and prepared Africa.”
African Unionadoptedthe Luanda Plan of Action at its 21st Extraordinary Session
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“The Luanda Action Plan is a strategic framework that was considered and adopted at the 21st Extraordinary Session of the African Union Assembly on 30 August 2026.”
The African Unionheld its 21st extraordinary session with theme'Strengthening Mechanisms for Conflict Prevention and Resolution in Africa'
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“The summit, hosted by Angolan president João Lourenço in Luanda, was held under the theme 'Strengthening Mechanisms for Conflict Prevention and Resolution in Africa'.”
the African Union Assemblyunderscoredthe need for African governments to take greater responsibility for peace and security initiatives
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“According to the President, the Assembly also underscored the need for African governments to take greater responsibility for peace and security initiatives on the continent.”
Bience Gawanaswas elected as commissioner for social affairs atthe African Union assembly, serving from 2002 to 2012
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“In 2002, she was elected as the commissioner for social affairs at the African Union assembly of heads of state and government, a post she held until 2012.”
African UniondeclaredSeptember as Africa Amnesty Month in 2017
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“The AU declared September as Africa Amnesty Month in 2017, initially until 2020, before the period was extended to 2030 by the 14th Extraordinary Session of the Assembly on Silencing the Guns, held in Johannesburg, South Africa, in December 2020.”
The African Union has welcomed a UN General Assembly resolution calling for more accurate representation of Africa on world maps, arguing that the commonly used Mercator projection distorts Africa's actual size. The AU Commission chair called on international institutions, schools, publishers and digital platforms to adopt maps that provide more accurate representation of global land areas.
The African Union has welcomed a UN General Assembly resolution calling for more accurate representation of Africa on world maps, arguing that the commonly used Mercator projection distorts Africa's actual size. The AU Commission chair called on international institutions, schools, publishers and digital platforms to adopt maps that provide more accurate representation of global land areas.
Environment and tourism minister Indileni Daniel called at a UN desertification conference in Mongolia for drought to be treated as a development priority rather than an emergency, emphasizing that Namibia must invest in preparation and resilience instead of reacting only after disasters strike. As one of the driest countries in sub-Saharan Africa, Namibia faces rising temperatures, variable rainfall, and prolonged droughts that threaten agricultural production, water security, and affect more than one million people during severe droughts.
President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah called for African countries and the private sector to increase funding for conflict resolution rather than relying heavily on external support. She highlighted the adoption of the Luanda Plan of Action at an African Union summit as a framework that specifies responsibilities, timelines, and funding requirements for peace programmes.
President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah attended the African Union's 21st extraordinary session in Luanda, where African leaders renewed calls for the continent to take greater financial responsibility for its own peace and security priorities rather than relying on external funding.
President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah has returned from an African Union summit in Angola where leaders emphasised strengthening Africa's capacity to prevent and resolve conflicts and finance its own peace and security priorities. The summit adopted an action plan linking continental activities to required financial resources and underscored the need for African governments to take greater responsibility for peace initiatives rather than depend on external support.
President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah joined African leaders in Luanda, Angola, for the 21st Extraordinary Session of the African Union Assembly of Heads of State and Government, which assessed the continent's peace and security situation and considered measures to strengthen mechanisms for conflict prevention and resolution.
A new documentary titled 'The Encapsulation of Bience Gawanas', directed by filmmaker Othilia Mungoba, presents an intimate audiovisual portrait of the liberation figure and human rights advocate using multi-sensory storytelling that blends conversations, archival footage, personal artefacts, photographs and music. The film will be screened on 28 August at a public event in Windhoek.
President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah has congratulated Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema on his re-election following Zambia's August 2026 elections, pledging to deepen cooperation between the two nations. Nandi-Ndaitwah emphasized the importance of strengthening democratic culture and maintaining peace and unity during electoral processes.
At the UN Convention to Combat Desertification conference in Mongolia, Namibia's environment minister called for greater investment in drought preparedness measures, stating that the country can no longer afford to respond only after disaster strikes. She noted that more than one million people can face food insecurity during severe droughts and that Namibia is strengthening early-warning systems, contingency planning, and water security measures.
The Windhoek Observer welcomes the Namibian Police Force's September amnesty for illegal firearms but warns that prevention efforts must extend beyond the month-long initiative. Between September 2025 and June 2026, the country recorded 20 firearm murders, 261 armed robberies, and hundreds of other weapons-related offences, underscoring the need for a sustained national campaign against firearms.
Namibia's safety and security minister Lucia Iipumbu launched a 2026 September Amnesty Month on Wednesday, giving illegal firearm owners until 30 September to surrender their weapons without arrest or prosecution. After the amnesty period ends, offenders will be prosecuted according to national laws.
Ghana has tabled a UN resolution recognising transatlantic slavery as "the greatest crime against humanity" and hosted a reparations summit in Accra in June with delegates from around 80 countries, asserting that compensation from nations and institutions that benefited from slavery is overdue. The UK and US have resisted the reparations demands, though Ghana has been designated by the African Union as "champion for reparatory justice."
South African Minister Ronald Lamola accepted the SADC Chairpersonship on behalf of South Africa for 2026–2027, emphasizing the role as a collective responsibility guided by principles of solidarity, unity, sovereign equality, and shared prosperity.
Zambians voted with concerns over the economy, rising cost of living, and unemployment, with young people emerging as an important political force. President Hakainde Hichilema sought a second term against opposition candidate Brian Mundubile and other contenders, with about 8.7 million registered voters and largely peaceful polling.
The veterans affairs ministry has suspended house construction and resettlement for liberation struggle veterans due to financial constraints. More than 11,000 veterans remain unpaid under Individual Veterans' Projects, with the government requiring about N$1.9 billion to settle outstanding payments.
South Africa has assumed the SADC chairmanship for 2026–2027 with a commitment to raise intra-regional trade to 50% and shift member economies from exporting raw materials towards beneficiation and regional value chains. The region holds nearly 30% of the world's proven critical mineral reserves, and South Africa's agenda prioritises peace and security, industrialisation, infrastructure development, and social and human capital development.
Justice Minister Fillemon Wise Immanuel told an African Union technical committee that sustained continental financing, effective partnerships and enhanced coordination are needed to implement AU social protection strategies. Ministers from AU member states agreed to accelerate comprehensive social protection systems reaching informal workers, rural communities, and vulnerable groups, and endorsed measures to expand social protection and strengthen migrant worker rights.
Justice and labour relations minister Wise Immanuel, addressing an African Union technical committee meeting in Windhoek on behalf of the president, declared that ministers have agreed to accelerate social protection systems for informal workers, rural and migrant communities, defining social protection as a fundamental human right. The Namibian's columnist is sceptical, suggesting the commitments amount to "bureaucratic poetry" with limited practical impact.
Justice and labour relations minister Wise Immanuel told an African Union technical committee in Windhoek that African countries must treat social protection as a right to reduce poverty and create decent jobs. Ministers agreed to expand social protection systems to cover informal economy workers, rural communities, migrant workers and vulnerable groups, and called for policies to help young people find work and strengthen labour markets.
Gender equality and child welfare minister Emma Kantema has called for African governments and development partners to move beyond commitments and take concrete action to improve the livelihoods of women and girls, urging that women be actively involved in designing, governing and managing initiatives that affect their lives and communities.
The Cabinet has approved a new national policy to regulate prospecting and mining in protected areas and other environmentally sensitive zones, balancing mineral development with environmental conservation. Namibia has also been authorised to sign the statute of the African Mineral Development Centre, enabling participation in the African Union agency dedicated to sustainable mineral development.
Business Africa's head of research told an African Union meeting in Windhoek that productive businesses creating jobs and wealth are the most effective way to address persistent poverty, limited fiscal resources, and rising citizen demands across Africa. He called for stronger regional economies to support weaker ones through social dialogue on issues including social protection, labour migration, and child protection.
The Pan-African Parliament has called for an immediate end to the conflict in Sudan and recommended an extraordinary session to develop a roadmap for peaceful resolution, with Namibia's Head of Delegation to the parliament presenting a report that examined the security crisis and humanitarian impact of the conflict.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa urged African countries to strengthen unity, democratic governance and economic cooperation to address armed conflict, climate change, migration challenges and global economic uncertainty. He called on the Pan-African Parliament to uphold democracy and accountability, and identified the African Continental Free Trade Area as key to unlocking the continent's economic potential.
Namibia's Strategy for the Transformation of the Agri-food Sector aims to drive at least 6% annual sector growth and double agriculture's contribution to GDP by 2030 through increased productivity, value addition, private investment, and reduced food imports. The strategy prioritises commercialisation of agriculture and unlocking the economic potential of Northern Communal Areas, which hold approximately 1.6 million cattle but contribute relatively little to the national agricultural economy.
Namibia has achieved 98% urban water access and a national average of 91.4% access to safe drinking water, among the highest in Africa, but access to basic sanitation stands at only 60%. Government officials cited geography, dispersed rural settlements, and rapid informal settlement growth as obstacles to universal access, alongside deteriorating infrastructure.
South Africa has rejected as "opportunistic" a petition filed at the International Criminal Court by two Ghanaians seeking investigation into attacks on foreigners, saying the petition falls short of the ICC's legal threshold and that its own legal system can handle such matters. Ghana and other African countries have been repatriating citizens amid rising anti-migrant protests and violence.
Phillipus Katamelo, Chairperson of the Pan-African Parliament Committee on Cooperation, International Relations and Conflict Resolution, has called for coordinated African-led efforts to address Sudan's security crisis, warning that its humanitarian consequences and human rights violations cannot be ignored. Joint committees deliberated on the security situation, its humanitarian impact, and the human rights situation in Sudan.
Namibia's Pan-African Parliament delegation, led by Deputy Speaker Phillipus Katamelo, has commenced Permanent Committee sittings ahead of the First Ordinary Session of the Seventh Parliament, scheduled to begin on 27 July 2026 in Midrand, South Africa. The committee meetings, running until 25 July, form part of preparations to review matters under the various PAP committees' mandates.
Namibia will host the Sixth Ordinary Session of the African Union Specialised Technical Committee on Social Development, Labour and Employment from 27 to 31 July in Windhoek. The summit focuses on investing in and expanding social protection systems across Africa, and the article urges Namibia to use the event to address broader questions about structuring African economies to create jobs.