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Assembly of the African Union

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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 Duma Boko President 1 November 2024
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 Vacant Membership Suspended 31 August 2023
The Gambia Adama Barrow President 19 January 2017
Ghana John Mahama President 7 January 2025
Guinea Vacant Membership Suspended 10 September 2021
Guinea-Bissau Umaro Sissoco Embaló President 27 February 2020
Kenya William Ruto President 13 September 2022
Lesotho Sam Matekane Prime Minister 28 October 2022
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 Navin Ramgoolam Prime Minister 13 November 2024
Morocco Mohammed VI King 31 January 2017
Mozambique Daniel Chapo President 15 January 2025
Namibia Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah President 21 March 2025
Niger Vacant Membership Suspended 26 July 2023
Nigeria Bola Tinubu President 29 May 2023
Rwanda Paul Kagame President 24 March 2000
Sahrawi 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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