During the ceremony, President João Lourenço received from his predecessor, Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Ghazouani, the attributes that characterise such a high continental responsibility.

Lourenço will be at the helm of the continent’s largest political and diplomatic organisation for a period of one year and, according to his statements, the focus of the Angolan presidency will be on peace and conflict resolution.

The Bureau of the AU Assembly is also made up of Burundi as first vice-president and representative of Central Africa, Ghana as second vice-president and representative of West Africa, Tanzania as third vice-president (East Africa) and Mauritania as rapporteur (North Africa).

Addressing the AU Peace and Security Council on Friday, the Angolan President noted the efforts being made to resolve the conflict in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo, which he said was one of the most worrying issues the continent is facing.

This will be one of the issues that will occupy the Angolan Presidency, as the President has said on several occasions.

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