Burundi’s Foreign Minister Arrives in Addis Ababa for 49th AU Executive Council Session

Addis Ababa, July 26, 2026 (ENA) —Burundi’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Development Cooperation and Chairperson of the African Union Executive Council, Édouard Bizimana, arrived in Addis Ababa on Sunday to attend the 49th Ordinary Session of the AU Executive Council.

Bizimana was welcomed at Bole International Airport by Melaku Bedada, Chief of State Protocol at Ethiopia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The 49th Ordinary Session of the Executive Council will be held in Addis Ababa from July 28 to 29, 2026, under the theme: “Assuring Sustainable Water Availability and Safe Sanitation Systems to Achieve the Goals of Agenda 2063.”

The high-level meeting comes at a critical moment for Africa, where population growth, rapid urbanization, climate change and growing water scarcity are placing unprecedented pressure on the continent’s water and sanitation systems.

 

For millions of Africans, access to safe drinking water and adequate sanitation remains a daily challenge, with the consequences extending beyond public health to food security, economic development, climate resilience and social stability.

Against this backdrop, the Executive Council is expected to examine how stronger continental cooperation, sustainable water governance and coordinated investment can help address Africa’s growing water challenges and advance the objectives of Agenda 2063 — the African Union’s long-term vision for an integrated, prosperous and peaceful continent.

 

The session will therefore place water and sanitation at the center of Africa’s development agenda, underscoring the need for collective action to build resilient systems capable of meeting the needs of a rapidly growing and increasingly urbanized population.

The 49th Executive Council session will also serve as a key platform for advancing continental cooperation on one of Africa’s most urgent development challenges: ensuring that every African has access to the water and sanitation services essential for a healthy, secure and dignified life.