Uganda has beaten three other countries to be selected to host the African Humanitarian Agency, an African Union body which coordinates and provides humanitarian responses for member states.
The decision was announced during the 45th session of the African Union Executive Council
of Ministers of Foreign Affairs, the second highest decision making body of the African
Union,.
The meeting was held in Ghana between July, 18 and 19.
During this session, the African Union Commission presented the outcome of its independent technical evaluation report on the hosting of the African Humanitarian Agency.
This was a process that started in May 2023 with a call for countries to express interest to Host the African Humanitarian Agency and submit their bid proposals for the same.
Four countries including Uganda, Kenya, Equatorial Guinea and Nigeria expressed interest and
submitted their proposals.
A team from the African Union Commission was set up, with the mandate to conduct an assessment mission to the four countries to assess their proposals and suitability to host the African Humanitarian Agency before Uganda won.
The results indicated that Uganda polled 85.6%, Equatorial Guinea 76.70%, Kenya 76.13% while Nigeria came last with 74.5%.
Uganda’s Permanent Representative to the African Union, Amb. Rebecca Otengo expressed excitement at the win.
“This is the first African Union Agency hosted by Uganda since joining the Union when it was first called the Organisation of African Union (OAU)”, she said.
Speaking from Kampala, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Gen. Odongo Jeje Abubakhar welcomed the decision of the African Union.
“Uganda being the largest refugee hosting country on the African continent with established legal and institutional frameworks on forcibly displaced persons and impeccable experience in dealing with humanitarian action made her an acceptable candidate to many African Union Members. Attributing the success to a formidable team at the mission.”
“This is doubled by the goodwill enjoyed by the Ambassador and members of Ugandan Embassy among other African Union Member states in Addis Ababa.”
