38th Ordinary Summit of Heads of State, Government of AU kicks off in Addis Ababa

CAIRO – 15 February 2025: The 38th Ordinary Summit of Heads of State and Government of the African Union (AU) kicked off in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa on Saturday.

Meetings of the 38th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the AU will last for two days with the participation of a large number of African heads of state and government.

The meeting will commence with the AU anthem followed by opening statements from various leaders.

The Assembly will take place under the AU theme for 2025, “Justice for African and People of African Descent Through Reparations”.

In this context, it is expected that the Summit will review and assess what has been achieved in Africa’s efforts towards the attainment of long overdue justice and reparations and decades of colonialism and apartheid, slavery and the trans-Atlantic slave trade.

One of the highly anticipated responsibilities of the forthcoming Assembly will be to elect and appoint the AU Chairperson and Deputy Chairperson.

The Assembly takes place against a backdrop of a myriad of challenges, including threats to democratic governance, peace and security, through unconstitutional changes of government and post-election violence.

The Assembly will elect new Members of the AU Peace and Security Council (AUPSC) to replace the current members, whose three-year terms are set to expire.