President Hichilema To Attend 39th African Union Summit in Addis Ababa

President Hakainde Hichilema will travel to Addis Ababa this week for the 39th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union, taking place on February 14–15, 2026.

Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Minister Mulambo Haimbe said the summit will focus on transformative action, strengthened governance, and accelerating progress towards Africa's water and sanitation goals — issues that sit at the heart of the continent's development agenda.

President Hichilema will play a prominent role beyond the main proceedings. He will host a high-level side event to officially launch the AU's Theme of the Year alongside the Africa Water Vision 2063 and its accompanying Policy Framework, in partnership with the African Union Commission. The initiative underscores Zambia's growing leadership on continental priorities.

In his capacity as AU Champion on Ending Child Marriage, the President will also convene a high-level breakfast meeting to accelerate efforts against child marriage across Africa, featuring the launch of the 2025 AU Champion's Report on the issue — a cause to which Zambia has committed significant political capital.

Separately, President Hichilema will co-host a breakfast dialogue alongside the International Vaccine Institute, Africa CDC, the African Medicines Agency and fellow Member States to launch ACHIEVE Africa 2.0, a platform aimed at strengthening the continent's health security infrastructure.

Minister Haimbe added that the President is expected to attend the 35th Summit of the African Peer Review Mechanism alongside further engagements throughout the week.