Faith, Leadership And Unity Take Centre Stage At AU Pre-Summit Prayer Gathering

ADDIS ABABA – Namibian President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah joined African leaders and faith representatives in Addis Ababa for the African Union Pre-Summit Prayer Breakfast, a gathering that underscored the growing role of faith diplomacy in shaping conversations on governance, ethics and development across the continent.

The event, held ahead of the 39th Ordinary Session of the African Union Assembly of Heads of State and Government, took place at the invitation of former Nigerian president Olusegun Obasanjo, who serves as patron of the AU Prayer Breakfast.

Organised by the African Union Christian Fellowship, the breakfast brought together heads of state, diplomats, church leaders and development partners in what organisers described as a moment of reflection before formal policy deliberations began.

The gathering focused on the moral and social dimensions of leadership, highlighting how faith communities can support accountability, ethical governance and social cohesion at a time when parts of the continent continue to grapple with conflict, climate pressures and inequality.

Faith communities and policy influence

Discussions at the event emphasised the contribution of religious institutions in advancing responsible stewardship of natural resources, particularly water, which remains a critical development challenge in many African countries.

Participants also reflected on the role of churches and interfaith networks in peacebuilding, mediation and humanitarian support, especially in fragile and conflict-affected regions.

This soft-diplomacy dimension has increasingly become part of AU summit week, providing a complementary space for leaders to engage outside formal negotiations while reinforcing shared values around unity and collective responsibility.

Speakers linked the themes of the gathering to Agenda 2063, the AU’s long-term blueprint for inclusive growth and sustainable development, often framed through the vision of “The Africa We Want.”

The prayer breakfast, while not a formal decision-making forum, has evolved into a symbolic opening to summit proceedings, signalling a broader recognition that governance challenges on the continent are not only political and economic but also social and ethical.

Side engagements such as the prayer breakfast have become a fixture of AU summits, reflecting efforts to broaden participation beyond state actors and to incorporate civil society and faith voices into continental discourse.

For President Nandi-Ndaitwah, the appearance also marked a continuation of Namibia’s engagement in multilateral forums, as African leaders convened in Addis Ababa to deliberate on peace, security and development priorities for the year ahead.