Luanda — The main legacy of Angolan Head of State João Lourenço during his presidency of the African Union (AU) lies in consolidating the image of a country strengthened internationally and recognized as a central actor in conflict resolution and the promotion of peace on the African continent.
This fact was expressed on Sunday, in Luanda by Angola's Permanent Representative to the African Union, Miguel Bembe, in an interview with ANGOP, on the eve of the end of the term of the Angolan Head of State, João Lourenço, as president pro tempore of the continental organization.
The Angolan diplomat, who closely followed the implementation of the Angolan presidency program, said that during his responsibilities at the AU, Angola projected a strategic vision based on peace and stability as essential pillars for the economic and social progress of the African peoples.
According to Miguel Bembe, Angola's presidency has given greater credibility to the country's diplomacy and reinforced its role in African and global multilateral forums, as will be detailed in the full interview to be released shortly by ANGOP.
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To him, the Angolan presidency has contributed decisively to revitalizing the AU, making it more proactive in addressing the continent's challenges and more pragmatic in its governance model, focusing on concrete results.
Regarding internal perspective, he stressed that President João Lourenço gave special importance to the need for structural reforms, particularly in administrative procedures.
According to the ambassador, the focus was on adopting a faster, less bureaucratic, and more effective operational model for producing consistent decisions, supported by agendas addressed within reasonable timeframes,
He said that as a result of this effort, a draft Decision on strengthening the African Union's working methodology was prepared and added that the process was inclusive and consensual, with the participation of all Member States, a factor that provides legitimacy and broad representativeness to the document.
The aforementioned draft will be submitted for assessment and adoption during the 39th Ordinary Session of the Conference of Heads of State and Government of the African Union, scheduled for February 14 and 15, 2026, constituting a significant milestone in the process of modernization and strengthening the institutional efficiency of the continental organization.
At the international level, he pointed that the initiatives led by Angola have had a positive impact on the positioning of the AU, where Angolan diplomacy contributed to strengthening the AU's image as a credible strategic partner, expanding dialogue with global actors such as the European Union (EU), Japan, Caribbean Community (CARICOM), the United States of America (USA), India, and various multilateral organizations, including the G20.
He stated that this action projected the African Union as a more unified and influential voice on global issues, consolidating Africa's role not only as a recipient of support but also as a protagonist in defining solutions to its own challenges.
Miguel Bembe believes that the African Union should consolidate the initiatives implemented by Angola, deepen its commitment to peace and security, and strengthen economic and political integration among Member States.
He added that Angolan experience has demonstrated that political dialogue and conflict mediation are key factors for development, and the AU should continue to invest in mechanisms for the prevention, management, and peaceful resolution of crises.
Regarding the next presidency of the organization, the diplomat recommended maintaining peace and stability as priorities, coupled with a more intense focus on economic integration, as well as intra-African mobility, with particular emphasis on accelerating the effective implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
In the area of sustainable development and the African Union's Agenda 2063, he highlighted the country's contribution to defending the link between peace, security and development, arguing that without stability there is no economic and social progress.
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Angola's Permanent Representative to the AU, Miguel Bember, said that this vision encouraged strategic investments, international partnerships, and infrastructure projects aligned with continental objectives.
Regarding the involvement of the African diaspora and civil society, he emphasized that during the Angolan presidency there was a clear commitment to valuing the role of these actors in building inclusive and sustainable solutions, reinforcing the legitimacy and representativeness of the African Union's decisions.
In this context, he highlighted the holding of the 2nd Africa/CARICOM Summit on September 7, 2025, which contributed to strengthening cooperation between the two regional blocs and to promoting common positions on international issues, as well as a more active participation of the diaspora in the continent's development.
In short, he stressed that Angola leaves behind a presidency oriented towards peace, integration and sustainable development, paving the way for the African Union to increasingly assert itself as a protagonist on the global stage and as an engine of progress for Africa.
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