The African Union (AU) and the Federal Republic of Germany have reaffirmed their long-standing partnership for sustainable development, peace, and prosperity in Africa during the AU–Germany Negotiations on Development Cooperation, held on 6–7 November 2025 at the African Union Commission (AUC) Headquarters in Addis Ababa.
Germany committed an additional €88 million in new funding to support AU-led priorities aligned with Agenda 2063, strengthening cooperation in sustainable economic development, green energy and infrastructure, peace and security, and health. This renewed commitment builds on more than two decades of AU–Germany collaboration and reinforces Germany’s role as one of the AU’s most reliable, longstanding, and strategic partners.
The 2025 negotiations underscored shared priorities and a collective ambition to accelerate impactful delivery across the continent.
1. Sustainable Economic Development & Trade
Germany reaffirmed its support to the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) as it transitions from negotiation to full-scale implementation. Emphasis will be placed on empowering the private sector—especially SMEs to drive job creation, industrialization, and intra-African trade.
2. Green Energy & Infrastructure
As a major energy partner on the continent, Germany will continue supporting AU flagship initiatives such as the Africa Single Electricity Market (AfSEM) and the Continental Power System Masterplan (CMP). These initiatives are central to achieving a unified, reliable, and sustainable power market that can unlock Africa’s productive potential.
3. Peace & Security
To promote long-term stability and resilience across Africa, Germany’s engagement will focus on structural conflict prevention, addressing the climate peace security nexus and strengthening the leadership of women, youth, and civil society in peacebuilding.
4. Health Security
In partnership with the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), the AU and Germany will collaborate to advance a robust continental health security architecture that is responsive, equitable, and future-fit.
Ms. Birgit Pickel, Director-General for Africa at the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), who led the German delegation, emphasized Germany’s sustained commitment to Africa: “Africa continues to be a strategic and political priority for the German government. Building on more than 20 years of partnership rooted in mutual respect, trust, and understanding, Germany remains a reliable partner of the AU in advancing sustainable development, regional integration, and peace and security. These are shared interests and shared responsibilities.”
The AU delegation was led by H.E. Ambassador Fathallah Sijilmassi, Director-General of the AUC, who underscored the importance of the biannual consultations, said, “The AU–Germany negotiations provide an important platform to assess progress, strengthen joint action, and ensure that our cooperation delivers concrete, measurable impact on the ground in alignment with Agenda 2063. We deeply appreciate Germany’s substantial contributions and look forward to continued partnership.”
Note to Editors
The Federal Government of Germany has been a key partner of the African Union (AU) since 2004, providing both technical assistance and financial support through its implementing agencies, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH and KfW Development Bank.
Regular development cooperation dialogues between the AU and the Government of Germany have been instrumental in strengthening the partnership by enabling both sides to identify progress, address challenges, and introduce strategic adjustments where needed. The biannual negotiations provide a strategic platform to review jointly the performance of Germany-funded projects and to discuss future funding commitments in line with the priorities of Agenda 2063.
In addition to its bilateral support, Germany has played a central role in the establishment and implementation of Joint Financing Arrangements (JFAs), which have supported AU institutional capacity building and programme delivery since 2008. Germany is a signatory and one of the four lead partners of the current Joint Framework Arrangement (JFA), which came into effect in August 2024. It was also a major contributor to the previous JFA that ran from 2018 to 31 July 2024.
Since the beginning of AU-Germany cooperation, Germany has committed more than 1 billion EUR in support to the AU. In addition to its bilateral engagement, Germany is a member of Team Europe and part of nine regional ‘Team Europe Initiatives’ (TEIs) across various thematic areas.
The next AU-Germany Negotiations on Development Cooperation are due to take place in Addis Ababa in 2027.
For further information, please contact:
Faith Adhiambo | Directorate of Information and Communication| African Union Commission |E-mail ochiengj@africanunion.org
