Lagos, February 12, The Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM) and the African Union (AU) will sign a renewed Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Friday, 13 February 2026 at 1:00 PM, at the African Union Commission (AUC) Headquarters in Addis Ababa.
The MOU will be signed on behalf of SECAM by His Eminence Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo Besungu, OFMCap, Metropolitan Archbishop of Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, and President of SECAM, and on behalf of the African Union by H.E. Ambassador Bankole Adeoye, Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security (PAPS) of the African Union Commission.
This upcoming signing occurs a decade later after the first MOU was concluded on 19 August 2015 at the African Union Commission. The renewed agreement aligns with the new directives and institutional frameworks issued by the African Union Commission, reinforcing structured collaboration between the AU and its partners.
The MOU aims to strengthen cooperation in the promotion and protection of human and peoples’ rights, the advancement of good governance, democracy, and the rule of law, as well as the enhancement of peacebuilding, reconciliation, and social cohesion across the continent.
It also seeks to bolster joint efforts in addressing humanitarian crises, protecting displaced persons and vulnerable populations, responding to climate change through sustainable natural resource management, and promoting integral human development in line with Agenda 2063: The Africa We Want. As stated in the text to be signed, the cooperation is grounded in the shared vision of Agenda 2063: “An integrated, prosperous and peaceful Africa, driven by its own citizens.”
The timing of this signing is particularly significant. It comes six days after SECAM hosted a high-level side event in partnership with the African Union on Water Sustainability and Sanitation on 7 February 2026 in Addis Ababa, which brought together key continental and international partners, including the Holy See through the Dicastery for the Promotion of Integral Human Development. It will also take place just one day before the 39th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the Heads of State and Government of the African Union, scheduled for 14–15 February 2026.
This sequence of events highlights the strengthening institutional partnership between the African Union and SECAM and underscores the Catholic Church’s continued commitment to contribute meaningfully to Africa’s priorities. The renewed MOU reflects a shared conviction that effective multilateral cooperation is essential and that collaboration among international organisations, governments, civil society, and faith-based institutions is vital for advancing justice, peace, and integral human development. At a time when renewed multilateral engagement is increasingly necessary, this partnership embodies the principle of African solutions to African problems, rooted in solidarity, shared responsibility, and a common vision for the continent’s future.
