President John Dramani Mahama has underscored the urgent need for sweeping reforms within the African Union, revealing that his meeting with Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali on the sidelines of the 39th African Union Summit focused on making the continental body more efficient, responsive and relevant to the pressing challenges confronting Africa today.
His call comes at a time when he is championing Africa to define its relevance in the global order as a partner and not a donor recipient, an anchor message of his Accra Reset Initiative.
The urgent need for reforms coincides with key decisions taken at the AU’s 39th Ordinary Session, held at the Union’s headquarters in Addis Ababa. African leaders agreed on a sweeping set of decisions aimed at reforming the continental body, strengthening peace and security mechanisms, and sharpening Africa’s voice in global governance.
A central outcome of the summit was the adoption of 2026 as the Year of “Ensuring sustainable water availability and safe sanitation systems to achieve the goals of Agenda 2063,” placing water security at the heart of Africa’s development strategy. Leaders emphasized that reliable access to water and sanitation is directly linked to public health, food security, climate resilience and conflict prevention.
The Assembly also elected a new Bureau of Heads of State and Government, with President Évariste Ndayishimiye of Burundi assuming the AU Chairpersonship, while Ghana was elected First Vice Chair. The new leadership is expected to steer ongoing institutional reforms, including efforts to enhance financial sustainability and improve coordination among AU organs.
On reform, Heads of State reviewed measures to streamline decision-making processes, strengthen accountability within the AU Commission, and secure predictable financing for peace support operations. Leaders reiterated the need for sustainable funding mechanisms, including continued engagement with the United Nations to secure assessed contributions for AU-mandated missions.
Peace and security discussions were particularly urgent given the worsening insurgency in parts of the continent. The Sahel region, notably Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, continues to experience persistent attacks by extremist groups affiliated with al-Qaeda and Islamic State networks. These insurgencies have led to thousands of deaths, widespread displacement and the erosion of state authority in several areas.
Beyond the Sahel, instability in the Horn of Africa and parts of the Great Lakes region remains a concern, with conflicts, political transitions and armed groups posing ongoing risks. Leaders stressed the importance of early warning systems, intelligence sharing, border security cooperation and addressing the root causes of extremism, including poverty, governance deficits and youth unemployment.
The Assembly also reaffirmed Africa’s Common Position on reform of the United Nations Security Council, calling for permanent African representation and greater equity in global decision-making. This push for global governance reform reflects a broader continental effort to ensure Africa’s demographic and economic weight is matched by meaningful influence on the international stage.
Economic integration featured prominently in deliberations, with renewed calls to accelerate implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area to expand intra-African trade, industrialization and job creation. Leaders acknowledged that sustainable economic growth is central to tackling the structural drivers of insecurity and political instability.
These reforms highlight Africa’s gradual policy and regional change to confront its pressing needs. However, Mahama has strongly asserted the need for far greater reforms which tackles the continent’s issues head-on.
Mahama’s engagement with Prime Minister Abiy also highlighted the longstanding diplomatic ties between Ghana and Ethiopia. Both countries maintain strong bilateral relations anchored in Pan-African cooperation, with Ethiopia hosting the AU headquarters and Ghana playing an active role in continental diplomacy. Officials indicated that discussions touched on strengthening political collaboration, trade, and shared commitments to AU reform.
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