Welcome
Cooperation with the African Union
The African Union’s PAPS Department building (Political Affairs, Peace and Security) in Addis Ababa © Florian Gaertner/photothek.de
In a multipolar world, it is important that Africa’s voice is heard around the globe. The African Union has a key role to play in this. Find out here how and why Germany supports the AU.
As the only pan-African organisation, the African Union (AU) includes all 54 African states and Western Sahara. The AU was founded in 2002 to advance Africa’s political and economic integration. In particular, the purpose of the AU is to safeguard peace and security, foster sustainable development and promote democracy, human rights and good governance in Africa, as outlined in the AU’s Agenda 2063. In September 2023, the AU was admitted to the G20 as a full member, a process Germany strongly supported.
Relations with Germany and the EU
We know from our own history how important regional integration and cooperation are. Germany has been one of the AU’s most important partners for many years and has been its largest bilateral donor since its establishment. In addition to peace and security, sustainable economic development, training and employment, cooperation focuses on healthcare, social security, renewable energies and energy efficiency.
The EU is also a key partner of the AU, particularly when it comes to financial support and capacity building. High-level meetings between the two organisations have been held on a regular basis since 2000. Most recently, the EU-AU Summit took place in Angola in November 2025.
The EU-Africa Global Gateway Investment Package, adopted at the 2022 EU-AU Summit, is a key pillar of cooperation with the EU. It provides for investments to the tune of 150 billion euro in Africa by 2027 in the spheres of infrastructure, digital technology, energy, transport, healthcare, education and research.
The EU is also a central partner of the AU in the field of peace and security. Under the European Peace Facility (EPF), the EU supports the financing of African-led peace operations with an AU mandate, including the AU Mission AUSSOM in Somalia.
The two organisations coordinate their cooperation at regular summits at the level of Heads of State and Government. The most recent EU-AU Summit took place in Luanda (Angola) on 24 and 25 November 2025. In the Joint Declaration, the two organisations stressed their support for a rules-based international order and multilateralism and expressed their desire to intensify economic relations.
African Peace and Security Architecture (APSA)
The African Peace and Security Architecture is shaped by the motto “African-led solutions for African problems”. The aim is for African states and their regional organisations (the Regional Economic Communities – RECs) to shoulder the main responsibility for peace and security on the continent themselves. The African Peace and Security Architecture (APSA), together with the African Governance Architecture (AGA), form the core element of the AU’s peace and security policy. This includes AU peace operations on the African continent.
Germany provides financial and technical support for the AGA/APSA. This includes early warning systems, civilian components of military operations and post-conflict reconstruction. Germany also assists the AU in improving border management. This support comprises cooperation on the demarcation of borders, the development of professional national and regional police forces rooted in the rule of law, cybersecurity and the fight against the proliferation of small arms.
African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA)
Launched in 2021, the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) is a flagship project of the AU’s Agenda 2063. The aim is to create a free trade area encompassing all African states by dismantling tariffs and other trade barriers, such as different product standards, and building on the regional integration of the eight RECs on the African continent. Most African states have already ratified the agreement. If the AfCFTA is fully implemented, the African continent has the potential to become the world’s fifth-largest economic area. Germany is one of the biggest supporters of the AfCFTA, as German and European companies would also benefit from a free trade area that strengthens trade between Europe and Africa.
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Ambassador Gesa Bräutigam, Regional Director for Sub‑Saharan Africa and the Sahel at the Federal Foreign Office, shares up‑to‑date information on Germany’s Africa policy on X at @GERonAfrica.