Burundian President Evariste Ndayishimiye addresses the opening ceremony of the 39th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union (AU) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Feb. 14, 2026. Burundi on Saturday officially assumed the chairmanship of the African Union (AU) for 2026 during the session in Addis Ababa. (Xinhua/Xie Jianfei)

ADDIS ABABA, Feb. 14 (Xinhua) -- Burundi on Saturday officially assumed the chairmanship of the African Union (AU) for 2026 during the 39th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the AU in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia.

Burundian President Evariste Ndayishimiye took over the chairmanship from Angolan President Joao Lourenco at the AU headquarters.

In his acceptance speech, Ndayishimiye said Angola was passing the torch to Burundi amid unrelenting security challenges, the rise of unilateral approaches, growing economic tensions, and the impact of climate change across the continent.

"I want to assure you that Burundi will exercise its presidency in a spirit of listening, impartiality and cooperation with all, and for the good of all member states. We intend to work with all AU members to reach common consensus," he said.

Ndayishimiye said that Burundi will seize the opportunity to strengthen Africa's voice on the international arena and actively contribute to building a fairer, more balanced and inclusive world. ■

Burundian President Evariste Ndayishimiye (R) addresses the opening ceremony of the 39th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union (AU) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Feb. 14, 2026. Burundi on Saturday officially assumed the chairmanship of the African Union (AU) for 2026 during the session in Addis Ababa. (Xinhua/Geng Xinning)