African Union and EU officials discuss AI governance at Addis Ababa security meeting

Time.news reports that senior officials from the African Union and the European Union met in Addis Ababa in early November 2026 to settle an implementation plan aimed at peace, security and economic development on both continents. The agenda included AI governance, which the report links to wider attention on how new technologies bear on security, conflict prevention and peacebuilding.

The security track included the 9th Annual Joint Retreat of the AU Peace and Security Council and the EU Political and Security Committee on 5 November, followed by a joint consultative meeting on 6 November. The retreat was co-chaired by Ambassador Antonin Bieke of Cote d'Ivoire, who chairs the AU council for November, and Ambassador Lene Mandel Vensild, permanent chair of the EU committee. Separately, a Senior Officials' Meeting at AU headquarters followed up on what the 7th AU-EU Summit in Luanda had produced in November 2025. About 400 delegates and 77 heads of delegation attended.

On digital policy, Ethiopia presented the AU's common position on AI and digital health. Priorities attributed to Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, who holds the AU's champion role on AI and digital health, include bringing AI and digitalisation into member states' policy agendas, universal digital literacy, more investment in cybersecurity infrastructure, support for start-ups, African-language inclusion and stronger institutional capacity to handle AI risks. Ethiopia also urged the EU to ease the effect of its trade rules on coffee and cocoa exports, and a Sahrawi representative called for reform of the UN Security Council.

The meeting ended with adoption of a refreshed implementation plan for the partnership, plus a joint review report on 2022 to 2025.