The African Union Commission has disclosed that it is operating with only 30% of its required staffing levels and approximately 25% of its global budget — including programmes funded by statutory contributions — as senior leaders convened in Addis Ababa on 3 June 2026 for the 52nd Ordinary Session of the Permanent Representatives' Committee (PRC).
Opening the session at AU Headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, AUC Chairperson H.E. Mahmoud Ali Youssouf acknowledged a range of pressures weighing on the continent, including geopolitical tensions disrupting global supply chains, macroeconomic instability, delays in fertiliser imports, ongoing conflicts, and a recent Ebola outbreak. He cited the closure of the Strait of Hormuz as an external factor continuing to disrupt continental plans.
Despite these difficulties, Youssouf affirmed the Commission's commitment to contingency planning and fiscal discipline, stating that the 2027 budget would be an austerity budget. He also underscored the importance of continuing the post-SACA (Skills Assessment and Competence Audit) trajectory. Appealing directly to Member States for enhanced solidarity and material support, he said the Commission is developing scenarios to address human and financial resource gaps. "The African Union should have the necessary human and financial resources to attain the objectives of Agenda 2063. I am aware of the difficulties that our member states are facing. The Commission is ready to find, together with you, the appropriate solutions to take up these challenges together," he said.
H.E. Ambassador Willy Nyamitwe, Chairperson of the PRC and Ambassador of Burundi to Ethiopia, called for unity and self-reflection, cautioning that national positions could unintentionally undermine continental cohesion. He urged ambassadors to ensure their decisions tangibly improve the lives of ordinary Africans, characterising unity as "not merely a virtue but a weapon." "History will remember whether we strengthened the institutions entrusted to us. It will remember whether we chose solidarity over division and vision over hesitation," he said.
The session was also attended by Deputy AUC Chairperson H.E. Selma Malika Haddadi, AU Commissioners, and senior officials. The PRC will deliberate on reports from its Sub-Committees and other AU organs before adopting draft decisions for the 49th Ordinary Session of the Executive Council, scheduled for 24–25 June 2026 in El Alamein, Egypt. That meeting will follow the 8th Mid-Year Coordination Meeting between the AU, Regional Economic Communities, and Regional Mechanisms, scheduled to take place on 27 June 2026 in El Alamein.
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