The African Union Commission and the United Arab Emirates held a high-level meeting in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, bringing together His Excellency Mahmoud Ali Youssef, Chairman of the African Union Commission, and His Excellency Sheikh Shakhbut bin Nahyan Al Nahyan, Minister of State of the United Arab Emirates, within the framework of strengthening the strategic partnership between the two sides.
The meeting was based on the outcomes of the first round of political consultations held in Abu Dhabi on September 13, 2025, in accordance with the memorandum of understanding signed in 2019, where the two parties renewed their commitment to continuing to develop political, economic and development cooperation. The two sides reviewed the progress achieved since the inaugural consultations, and exchanged views on priority areas of cooperation, stressing the importance of the African Union’s 2063 agenda, especially the “Silencing the Guns by 2020” initiative. 2030, and the African Continental Free Trade Area, emphasizing the close interrelationship between peace and security on the one hand, and trade and sustainable development on the other hand.
The two parties welcomed the launch of the UAE’s $1 billion Artificial Intelligence for Development initiative, which was announced during the G20 Summit in Johannesburg in November 2025, stressing its potential role in supporting digital transformation and innovation on the African continent. The two sides discussed peace and security developments in the Horn of Africa, stressing the interconnection between the stability of the region and the security of the Arabian Gulf, especially with regard to maritime security and regional prosperity.
The Sudanese issue was present, as the two parties stressed the necessity of reaching an immediate and unconditional humanitarian truce, a permanent ceasefire, and ensuring the unhindered access of humanitarian aid, with an emphasis on accountability for violations of international humanitarian law, and support for the establishment of an independent civilian government that reflects the aspirations of the Sudanese people, with an emphasis on the unity and sovereignty of Sudan. They also renewed their support for Somalia’s sovereignty, territorial integrity, security and stability, and the two sides stressed that Iran’s occupation of the three islands belonging to the state The Emirates (Greater Tunb, Lesser Tunb, and Abu Musa) represent a violation of the sovereignty of the UAE and the principles of the United Nations Charter, reiterating their support for a peaceful solution to the conflict in accordance with international law, whether through bilateral negotiations or the International Court of Justice.
Within the framework of the 2026 African Union theme on water and sanitation, the two parties stressed the importance of the 2026 United Nations Water Conference, hosted by the UAE and the Republic of Senegal, as a pivotal opportunity to enhance water resilience in Africa, while agreeing to cooperate to achieve tangible and measurable results. At the conclusion of the meeting, the two sides affirmed their commitment to continuing to deepen cooperation between the African Union Commission and the United Arab Emirates in support of peace, stability and sustainable development on the African continent.
