Addis Ababa (Ethiopia) 10 June 2025 (SPS) – The Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) took part in the Opening of the 50th Ordinary Session of the African Union (AU) Permanent Representatives’ Committee (PRC), held yesterday at the AU Headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, represented by its Permanent Representative to the AU, Ambassador Lamine Baali.
The session marked the beginning of a series of high-level engagements that will culminate in the 47th Ordinary Session of the AU Executive Council and the 7th Mid-Year Coordination Meeting (MYCM) between the African Union, Regional Economic Communities (RECs), and Regional Mechanisms, scheduled for 10–13 July 2025 in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea.
In her opening remarks delivered on behalf of the Chairperson of the AU Commission, H.E. Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, the Deputy Chairperson of the Commission, H.E. Selma Malika Haddadi, outlined the new Commission leadership’s strategic vision. She emphasized enhancing cooperation with Member States and RECs to drive continental integration, peace, and sustainable development. “Our collective resolve must translate into tangible progress—on financing, integration, and justice. Africa’s future depends on it,” she stated.
Key priorities of the new AU Commission include improving institutional coordination, ensuring financial sustainability by implementing the 0.2% import levy (Kigali Decision), and advancing the 2025 AU theme, Justice and Reparations for Africans and People of African Descent. The Commission is also preparing for important global engagements such as the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) and the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD).
Speaking at the opening, the Chairperson of the PRC and Angola’s Permanent Representative to the AU, H.E. Amb. Prof. Miguel Bembe, highlighted the central role of the PRC in safeguarding the political and technical integrity of the Union’s decisions. “It is our responsibility to ensure that processes are transparent, that methods are effective, and that outcomes reflect the spirit of Agenda 2063, The Africa We Want,” he affirmed.
Over the course of the session, ambassadors will examine key agenda items, including the AU Commission’s reports, the 2026 budget proposal, and the mid-term evaluation of the 2025 theme. The PRC will also prepare draft decisions for the upcoming Executive Council session in July.
The Sahrawi Republic remains actively engaged in all AU organs and mechanisms, in line with its status as a founding Member State of the Union. Through its continued participation, the SADR reaffirms its commitment to African unity, integrity, sovereignty, and the pursuit of decolonization across the continent. (SPS)
090/500/60 (SPS)
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