39th AU Summit: Biya’a envoy, Dion Ngute, says dialogue panacea for African problems.

Dion Ngute voiced out President Biya’s views in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on Saturday, February 14, 2026. 

He was speaking as envoy of President Biya, at the 39th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union, AU. 

The Assembly is the supreme decision-making body of the AU. It comprises all leaders of member States and plays a crucial role in shaping policies and addressing continental challenges, in line with the objectives of Agenda 2063.

Dion Ngute was accompanied to the gathering by members of government, among them the Minister of External Relations, Mbella Mbella; Minister in charge of Special Duties at the Presidency, Victor Arrey Mengot; as well as some close aides and staff of the Prime Minister’s Office. 

The two-day summit held under the theme: "Assuring Sustainable Water Availability and Safe Sanitation Systems to Achieve the Goals of Agenda 2063".

Deliberations focused on the critical theme of water security as well as pressing peace and security issues across the continent. It ended with a strong call for institutional reform, African solidarity, financial independence, and a collective push to shape the global agenda.

The continental gathering also adopted as theme for the year: “Assuring Sustainable Water Availability and Safe Sanitation Systems to Achieve the Goals of Agenda 2063”, as a pivotal step towards realising the health aspiration of Agenda 2063.

Enter Biya’s envoy 

PM Dion Ngute told the gathering that the position of Cameroon on addressing conflicts on the continent, as guided by the “wise policy of President Paul Biya, remains unchanged”. 

He told the AU Assembly that President Biya is of the opinion that “dialogue should be the heartbeat of our diplomacy”. Dion Ngute said it is on this that “Cameroon reaffirms its unwavering allegiance to the principle of African solutions to African problems”.

Such a principle, Dion Ngute on behalf of President Biya added, “entails respect of the sovereignty of the territorial integrity of each State”.

In this direction, he said the commitment of Cameroon “is not mainly theoretical” as it is a member of the “Peace and Security Council where it continues to contribute actively to the multidimensional AU policy on peace and security”.

Dion Ngute added that the engagement of Cameroon is “demonstrated by its participation in the Multidimensional Joint Task Force and the hosting of the African standby force and the continental logistics base”.

He, on behalf of President Biya, pledged that Cameroon will “continue to ensure that the rules and regulations guiding the management of the continental logistic base are fully respected”. 

“It is to this end that my country was congratulated by the 17th session of Ministers of Defence and Senior Military Officials holding in their specialised and technical committee in December 2025,” he stated.

The commitment of Cameroon, President Biya’s envoy detailed, is also evidence at the level of the African solidarity. 

“My country currently hosts over 600,000 refugees and spares no effort in providing them with decent living conditions. Moreover, Cameroon comments the mediation efforts of the African Union in the crisis between the DRC and Rwanda. My country supports the humanitarian initiative of President Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, who is working tirelessly with his colleagues of the Central African Subregion in bringing their contribution towards resolving the solution of this crisis. Cameroon is a member by the way of the high-level mediation team put in place by the ECCAS. We further commend the President of the Central African Republic and the President of the Republic of Gabon for their renewed efforts in bringing stability in our sub region,” Dion Ngute detailed. 

Biya’s envoy said the progress made regarding the “Memorandum of Understanding, MoU between the AU and the regional economic committees and regional mechanisms related to the operationalisation of the African standby force cannot be undermined”. 

Pledges Cameroon’s continues support 

Dion Ngute pledged that Cameroon would continue to provide its support for the aforementioned initiatives because it firmly believes that “the only way to achieving lasting stability is through frank collaboration and inclusive dialogue”.

“We are currently experiencing times that requires us to collectively defend our fundamental principles. Africa has to speak with one voice on the global arena. The onus is on us to continuously strive towards perfecting this unity so that our continent rather than being a passive spectator would become the main architect and the actor of its own destiny,” Biya’s envoy said. 

Enter other speakers 

Addressing the Assembly, the Chairperson of the AU Commission, Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, framed the summit around the 2026 theme of water and sanitation, describing access to water as a collective good that must promote both development and peace. 

He stressed that the meeting came at a time of mounting geopolitical turbulence, with persistent conflicts, institutional fragility and a resurgence of unconstitutional changes of government across parts of the continent. 

Against the backdrop of weakening multilateralism and rising global polarisation, he urged member States to accelerate political and economic integration under the guiding vision of Agenda 2063.

Youssouf further emphasised that institutional reforms and financial self-reliance are now imperative as external funding declines. He called for stronger domestic resource mobilisation and faster implementation of continental flagship programmes, particularly industrialisation, agricultural transformation, energy development and infrastructure expansion, which he described as essential conditions for sustainable growth. 

Mahmoud Ali Youssouf also acknowledged rising expectations from Africa’s youth, women and civil society, emphasising that the decade of Agenda 2063 must deliver tangible performance and measurable results.

The AU Chairperson concluded by expressing solidarity with populations affected by conflict, citing crises in Sudan, the Sahel, eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo and Somalia, as well as the suffering of the Palestinian people. 

He reaffirmed that respect for international law and humanitarian law remains fundamental to global peace and called for determined, collective action to secure a stronger, more autonomous and prosperous Africa.

The President of the Republic of Angola and outgoing Chairperson of the AU, H.E. João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço, officially opened the 39th Summit with a call for accelerated action to ensure sustainable water availability and safe sanitation systems.

Lourenço highlighted progress in advancing Agenda 2063, mobilising investment for infrastructure, strengthening continental integration through the African Continental Free Trade Area, AfCFTA, and promoting reforms to improve AU efficiency and reduce bureaucracy.

On peace and security, President Lourenço stressed that Africa’s development depends on “silencing the guns” and addressing ongoing conflicts, particularly in Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, as well as combating terrorism in the Sahel and Horn of Africa. 

He reaffirmed the AU’s rejection of unconstitutional changes of government and warned against legitimising coups through subsequent elections.

He urged African leaders to adopt measurable commitments that deliver tangible results for citizens and reinforce a resilient, integrated and prosperous Africa aligned with Agenda 2063.

The session also featured the election of President Évariste Ndayishimiye of Burundi, as the Chairperson of the Assembly of the Heads of State and Government of the African Union for the year 2026, taking over the rotating leadership from Angola’s João Lourenço.

This article was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3705 of Monday February 16, 2026