Story by Oleen Ndori, Foreign Editor
ZIMBABWE has called on African Union (AU)Member States to fully finance the continental body, saying financial independence is key to safeguarding Africa’s sovereignty and advancing the aspirations of Agenda 2063.
The call was made during a virtual Joint Sitting of the Ministerial Committee on the Scale of Assessment and Contributions and the Committee of Fifteen Ministers of Finance convened by the AU this Monday, known as the F-15, to deliberate on the long-term financial sustainability of the continental body.
Zimbabwe’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, Professor Amon Murwira, reaffirmed the country’s commitment to a financially independent African Union, stressing that Africa must take full responsibility for funding its own programmes rather than relying on external partners.
“As we deliberate on the decisions before us, Member States of the Union must fully fund the budget of the African Union. I think this was envisaged in 1963. We should never delegate the funding of our payment, especially of the programme budget, to anybody but ourselves. Currently, the Peace Support Operations budget is funded to the tune of 80 percent, with up to 95 percent provided by partners. In this regard, Zimbabwe strongly urges all Member States to pay their assessed contributions in full and on time. We applaud the collective effort that has secured over US$106 million towards the 2026 regular budget, representing 53 percent of the total assessed contributions. We must frankly recognise that a critical gap remains,” he said.
“Financial sustainability is the ultimate bedrock of our continental sovereignty and operational independence as we navigate donor apathy, intense geopolitical conflicts, and the need for more resources for our programmes. We cannot have a union that depends on charity from others. With most regions and member states already aligned, let us carry this momentum forward to a vital consensus on this harmonised option.
“To demonstrate our unwavering commitment to the Union, Zimbabwe is proud to be among the 22 Member States that have fully settled their 2026 regular budget contributions, having paid our dues on 12 February 2026. We therefore commend the F-15 and the African Union Commission for steering us towards a consensus on the proposed African Union Scale of Assessment for the 2027–2029 period,” the Minister added.
AU Commission Deputy Chairperson, Her Excellency Selma Malika Haddadi, echoed the call for greater financial self-reliance, warning that declining Member State contributions and heavy dependence on external funding continue to limit the Union’s ability to deliver on its mandates.
“At the international level, the African Union remains at the forefront of advancing Africa’s priorities, including reform of the global financial architecture, equitable representation in global governance institutions, enhanced international tax cooperation, the fight against illicit financial flows, and the promotion of fair, transparent and credible sovereign credit rating systems. On the continent, the Union remains firmly committed to advancing flagship initiatives and continental frameworks within its mandate, while promoting youth and women’s economic empowerment, financial inclusion, education, innovation, and entrepreneurship,” she said.
“Consequently, the fiscal space available to the Union has progressively narrowed, constraining its capacity to respond effectively to statutory mandates, emerging priorities and increasing demands. Importantly, these financing patterns continue to greater dependence on external resources, reduce predictability in planning and implementation, and ultimately undermine African ownership of the continental development agenda.”
The Joint Sitting forms part of ongoing efforts by the AU to strengthen institutional self-reliance, adopt a harmonised Scale of Assessment for the 2027 to 2029 period and secure sustainable financing for continental priorities under Agenda 2063.
