The UAE and the African Union call for an immediate humanitarian truce and a permanent ceasefire in Sudan

The United Arab Emirates and the African Union Commission held a high-level meeting in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, on January 6, 2026, bringing together the Chairman of the African Union Commission, Mahmoud Ali Youssef, and Sheikh Shakhbut bin Nahyan Al Nahyan, Minister of State.

This meeting came as a continuation of the first round of political consultations held in Abu Dhabi on September 13, 2025, within the framework of the memorandum of understanding signed in 2019, where the two sides affirmed their joint commitment to continue strengthening the partnership between the UAE and the African Union.

The two sides also reviewed the progress achieved since the start of the consultations, exchanged views on priority areas of cooperation, and affirmed their commitment to continuing the political dialogue.

The two sides agreed on the pivotal importance of Agenda 2063, in particular the pioneering initiative “Silencing the Guns by 2030”, in addition to the African Continental Free Trade Area, as they emphasized the complementary relationship between peace, security, trade and development. In this context, they agreed to enhance cooperation in support of these strategic priorities, based on their shared belief that sustainable peace constitutes a basic foundation for economic integration, and that expanding the scope of trade and investment contributes to enhancing stability and the ability to confront challenges and advance sustainable development on the African continent.

The two sides welcomed the UAE’s launch of the “Artificial Intelligence for Development” initiative worth one billion US dollars, which was announced during the G20 Leaders’ Summit in Johannesburg in November 2025, stressing its importance in the promising potential it offers to contribute to supporting development priorities in Africa, by promoting innovation and accelerating the pace of digital transformation.

Peace updates
The Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Sheikh Shakhbut bin Nahyan, exchanged views on developments in peace and security in the Horn of Africa region, and stressed the close interrelation between the stability of the Horn of Africa and the security of the Arabian Gulf region, including issues of maritime security and regional prosperity.

Sudan
Regarding Sudan, the two sides stressed the need to achieve an immediate and unconditional humanitarian truce, a permanent ceasefire, ensure unhindered access of humanitarian aid to all parts of Sudan, hold accountable those involved in violations of international humanitarian law, and form an independent, civilian-led government that meets the aspirations of the Sudanese people.

The two sides recalled the joint statement issued by the African Union Commission and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) on 14 September 2025, and welcomed the joint statement issued by the Quartet on 12 September 2025. They also referred to the high-level humanitarian conference held on the sidelines of the African Union summit in February 2025, and praised regional and international efforts to address the humanitarian crisis, and condemned the atrocities committed by the warring parties against civilians. They also affirmed their support for Sudan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and the necessity of reaching a peaceful settlement.

Somalia
Regarding Somalia, the two sides affirmed their support for Somalia’s sovereignty, territorial integrity, security and stability.

The three Emirates islands
The two sides also stressed that Iran’s continued occupation of the three islands of the UAE (Greater Tunb, Lesser Tunb, and Abu Musa) constitutes a violation of the sovereignty of the UAE and the principles of the United Nations Charter.
The two sides renewed their support for the UAE’s call to reach a peaceful solution to the dispute over the three islands, in accordance with the provisions of international law, including through direct negotiations or resorting to the International Court of Justice.

African Union
In the context of the African Union’s 2026 theme on water and sanitation, the two sides highlighted the 2026 United Nations Water Conference, hosted by the UAE in partnership with the Republic of Senegal, as a pivotal station for strengthening international efforts in addressing challenges related to the field of water. They also agreed to cooperate closely in order to achieve tangible, practical and measurable results across Africa, through important initiatives such as the Mohammed bin Zayed Water Initiative.

The two sides affirmed their commitment to strengthening cooperation between the African Union Commission and the UAE in sectors of common priority in support of peace, stability and sustainable development.