A high-level African Union (AU) Commission delegation led by Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf paid a courtesy call on President John Dramani Mahama, the incoming AU Chairperson, in Accra today.
Mr Youssouf welcomed the opportunity to discuss key continental issues with the President. The delegation pledged full support to President Mahama as he assumes the AU Chairmanship in January.
They recognised his leadership and significant contributions, especially his advocacy for reparative justice and commitment to reforming Africa’s financial institutions.
The delegation expressed strong confidence that President Mahama’s leadership would make a substantial positive impact on the AU and shape its future direction constructively.
A key topic was achieving financial self-reliance for the African Union. Citing ECOWAS as a successful model with a 0.5% levy to cover costs, President Mahama urged AU member states to fully implement the Union’s 0.2% levy on eligible imports.
“It’s not government money to the AU; it’s the people’s money. Government is only a collecting agency,” President Mahama stated.
They thanked President Mahama for supporting the AU’s efforts to achieve financial independence, especially through the proposed 0.2% levy on eligible imports to fund the Union’s work.
President Mahama pledged to engage other African leaders to secure their full support for the levy’s implementation.
He briefed the delegation on the Accra Reset Initiative, which seeks to advance Africa’s sovereignty and resilience by enhancing vaccine production, increasing access, and strengthening health systems across the continent.
He reiterated the need to address Africa’s debt portfolio by exploring effective debt treatment approaches and creating sustainable mechanisms to manage the continent’s debt burden.
The two leaders also discussed regional security and intra-African relations. Chairperson Youssouf commended President Mahama for his ongoing efforts to bridge divides between ECOWAS and the Alliance of Sahel States (AES).
He also praised President Mahama’s leadership in advancing the AU’s reparations agenda worldwide.
