Burundi AU 2026 initiatives

In early July 2026 Burundi announced it would host the African Union’s second Pan‑African Conference on Girls’ and Women’s Education, signalling the country’s upcoming role in continental policy dialogue.

Later in July, President Evariste Ndayishimiye, who was set to chair the AU for 2026, expanded on Burundi’s leadership agenda. He called for deeper unity, integration and sustainable development, highlighting the AU’s 2026 focus on water, sanitation, conflict resolution, economic growth and the African Continental Free Trade Area as part of Agenda 2063. He also warned that xenophobic attacks on African migrants in South Africa could undermine the AU’s pan‑African vision. Concurrently, Burundi launched the 2026 Pan‑African Diaspora Week to engage African professionals abroad on development, the ZLECAf, and Burundi’s own Vision 2040‑2060, while urging formal recognition of the 1972‑73 genocide against its Hutu population.