Africa: AU Commission Chair Warns Budget Cut Threatens Key Projects

African Union
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23 July 2024
Business Day Africa (Nairobi)
By Gerald Andae

The African Union Commission (AUC) Chair Moussa Faki Mahamat has expressed concern over the budget cut for the union this financial year, stating it will adversely affect the implementation of its projects.

The AUC is experiencing a budget reduction of at least $200 million compared to the previous year, posing a significant challenge for the commission.

Meeting in Accra, Ghana, the AU's Executive Council is set to review the budget, which limits assessed contributions from member states.

"This budgetary reduction poses two structural problems: firstly, the AU's increasing dependence on our partners, which is regularly criticised, even within your Council, and secondly, the fact that the AU's budget has been reduced to a minimum," Mahamat said.

The 6th Mid-Year Coordination Meeting of the African Union, which brings together Regional Economic Communities (RECs), Regional Mechanisms (RMs), and member states, commenced on July 18, 2024, with the 45th Session of the Executive Council.

The two-day ministerial meeting addressed budget matters, adopted the African Union Budget for 2025, discussed the security status on the continent and peace financing mechanisms, and reviewed the progress on the implementation of the African Union theme of the year 2024 on education.

The agenda also included discussions on African candidatures within the international system, the participation of the African Union in the G20, the hosting of the African Humanitarian Agency (AFHA), and reports on various thematic committees.

Additionally, the election and appointment of officials for various AU organs and institutions were considered, alongside other key issues aimed at advancing the political and socio-economic development for the improved welfare and well-being of African citizens.

Ministers also deliberated on the African Union theme for 2025, which focuses on "Justice for Africans and people of African descent through reparations." This theme addresses the reparations owed to Africans, both on the continent and in the diaspora, and seeks to rectify the harms caused by the transatlantic slave trade, slavery, colonialism, and neo-colonialism.

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