Assembly of the African Union

The Assembly of the African Union, which is formally known as the African Union Assembly of Heads of State and Government (AU-AHSG), is one of several decision-making bodies within the African Union. The other bodies are the Pan-African Parliament; the Executive Council, consisting of foreign ministers of the AU members states; and the African Union Commission. The Assembly of the African Union consists of the 55 heads of state and government of the member countries. The Assembly meets once a year.

The Chairperson of the Assembly presides the annual African Union Summit as well as the Pan-African Parliament during the election and swearing in of the President of the Pan-African Parliament.

History

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The Assembly came into existence on 25 May 1963, as part of the ratification of Organization of African Unity (OAU). Initially the Assembly consisted of 32 independent members, the heads of state of the African states that had achieved independence by 1963. Until 2001, the governing constitution of the Assembly was the OAU Charter. The Assembly is now subject to the Union Act that created the African Union.

Functions

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The Assembly has nine basic functions:

  1. Set policies of the Union.
  2. Decide on what action to take after consideration of reports and recommendations from the other organs of the Union.
  3. Consider membership requests into the Union.
  4. Create bodies for the Union.
  5. Monitor the implementation of policies and decisions of the Union as well ensure compliance by all Member States.
  6. Create a budget of the Union.
  7. Provide direction to the Executive Council on conflicts, war and other emergency situations and the restoration of peace.
  8. Select judges for and withdraw judges of the Court of Justice.
  9. Appoint the Chairman of the Commission, Commissioners of the Commission, all respective deputies and determine how long they will serve and what duties they will perform.

Decisions

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50th anniversary African Union Summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 25 May 2013

The Assembly shall take its decisions by consensus or, failing which, by a two-thirds majority of the Member States of the Union. However, procedural matters, including the question of whether a matter is one of procedure or not, shall be decided by a simple majority.

Two-thirds of the total membership of the Union shall form a quorum at any meeting of the Assembly.

The Assembly may delegate any of its powers and functions to any organ of the Union.

Members

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The AU Assembly of the Heads of State and Government consists of the 55 heads of state and government of the member countries. The Assembly meets once a year at the AU Summit. The current Chairman of the Assembly is President Moussa Faki of Chad.

The current members of the AU-AHSG are:

Member State Representative Title Member since Photo
  Algeria Abdelmadjid Tebboune President 19 December 2019  
  Angola João Lourenço President 26 September 2017  
  Benin Patrice Talon President 6 April 2016  
  Botswana Mokgweetsi Masisi President 1 April 2018  
  Burkina Faso Vacant Membership Suspended 31 January 2022  
  Burundi Évariste Ndayishimiye President 18 June 2020  
  Cabo Verde José Maria Neves President 9 November 2021  
  Cameroon Paul Biya President 6 November 1982  
  Central African Republic Faustin-Archange Touadéra President 30 February 2016  
  Chad Mahamat Déby Itno President 20 April 2021  
  Comoros Azali Assoumani President 26 May 2016  
  Democratic Republic of the Congo Félix Tshisekedi President 24 January 2019  
  Republic of the Congo Denis Sassou Nguesso President 25 August 1997  
  Côte d'Ivoire Alassane Ouattara President 4 December 2010  
  Djibouti Ismail Omar Guelleh President 8 May 1999  
  Egypt Abdel Fattah el-Sisi President 8 June 2014  
  Equatorial Guinea Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo President 3 August 1979  
  Eritrea Isaias Afwerki President 24 May 1993  
  Eswatini Mswati III King 25 April 1986  
  Ethiopia Abiy Ahmed Prime Minister 2 April 2018  
  Gabon Ali Bongo Ondimba President 19 October 2009  
  The Gambia Adama Barrow President 19 January 2017  
  Ghana Nana Akuffo-Addo President 7 January 2017  
  Guinea Vacant Membership Suspended 10 September 2021  
  Guinea-Bissau Umaro Sissoco Embaló President 27 February 2020  
  Kenya William Ruto President 13 September 2022  
  Lesotho Moeketsi Majoro Prime Minister 20 May 2020  
  Liberia Joseph Boakai President 22 January 2024  
  Libya Mohamed al-Menfi Chairman of the Presidential Council 15 March 2021  
  Madagascar Andry Rajoelina President 19 January 2019  
  Malawi Lazarus Chakwera President 28 June 2020  
  Mali Vacant Membership Suspended 2 June 2021  
  Mauritania Mohamed Ould Ghazouani President 1 August 2019  
  Mauritius Pravind Jugnauth Prime Minister 23 January 2017  
  Morocco Mohammed VI King 31 January 2017  
  Mozambique Filipe Nyusi President 15 January 2015  
  Namibia Hage Geingob President 21 March 2015  
  Niger Vacant Membership Suspended 26 July 2023  
  Nigeria Bola Tinubu President 29 May 2023  
  Rwanda Paul Kagame President 24 March 2000  
  Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic Brahim Ghali President 12 July 2016  
  São Tomé and Príncipe Carlos Vila Nova President 2 October 2021  
  Senegal Bassirou Diomaye Faye President 2 April 2024  
  Seychelles Wavel Ramkalawan President 26 October 2020  
  Sierra Leone Julius Maada Bio President 4 April 2018  
  Somalia Hassan Sheikh Mohamud President 23 May 2022  
  South Africa Cyril Ramaphosa President 15 February 2018  
  South Sudan Salva Kiir Mayardit President 9 July 2011  
  Sudan Vacant Membership Suspended 26 October 2021  
  Tanzania Samia Suluhu Hassan President 19 March 2021  
  Togo Faure Gnassingbé President 4 May 2005  
  Tunisia Kais Saied President 23 October 2019  
  Uganda Yoweri Museveni President 26 January 1986  
  Zambia Hakainde Hichilema President 21 August 2021  
  Zimbabwe Emmerson Mnangagwa President 24 November 2017  

See also

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