Foreign relations of the African Union

Last updated January 03, 2026

The individual member states of the African Union (AU) coordinate foreign policy through this agency, in addition to conducting their own international relations on a state-by-state basis. The AU represents the interests of African peoples at large in intergovernmental organizations (IGO's); for instance, it is a permanent observer at the United Nations' General Assembly.

Other intergovernmental organizations

Membership of the AU overlaps with other IGO's, and occasionally these third-party organizations and the AU will coordinate matters of public policy.

Political

Non-Aligned Movement (Every AU member state, except South Sudan and the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic)

Commonwealth of Nations :

Botswana
Cameroon
Eswatini
Gabon
The Gambia
Ghana
Kenya
Lesotho
Malawi
Mauritius
Mozambique
Namibia
Nigeria
Rwanda
Seychelles
Sierra Leone
South Africa
Tanzania
Togo
Uganda
Zambia

Regional

Arab League :

Egypt
Sudan
Libya
Morocco
Tunisia
Algeria
Mauritania
Somalia
Djibouti
Comoros
Eritrea

Arab Maghreb Union :

Algeria
Libya
Mauritania
Morocco
Tunisia

Community of Sahel-Saharan States :

Libya
Burkina Faso
Mali
Niger
Chad
Sudan
Central African Republic
Eritrea
Djibouti
The Gambia
Senegal
Benin
Côte d'Ivoire
Egypt
Ghana
Guinea-Bissau
Liberia
Morocco
Nigeria
Sierra Leone
Somalia
Togo
Tunisia

Conseil de l'Entente :

Côte d'Ivoire
Benin
Burkina Faso
Niger
Togo

Economic

Greater Arab Free Trade Area :

Algeria
Egypt
Libya
Morocco
Sudan
Tunisia

Economic Community of the Great Lakes Countries :

Burundi
D.R. Congo
Rwanda

G20 developing nations :

Egypt
Nigeria
South Africa
Tanzania
Zimbabwe

G-20 major economies :

South Africa

G33 :

Benin
Botswana
Democratic Republic of Congo
Côte d'Ivoire
Kenya
Mauritius
Madagascar
Mozambique
Nigeria
Senegal
Tanzania
Uganda
Zambia
Zimbabwe

G90 :

Angola
Benin
Botswana
Burkina Faso
Burundi
Cameroon
Central African Republic
Chad
Rep. Congo
Côte d'Ivoire
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Djibouti
Egypt
Gabon
The Gambia
Ghana
Guinea
Guinea Bissau
Kenya
Lesotho
Madagascar
Malawi
Mali
Mauritania
Mauritius
Morocco
Mozambique
Namibia
Niger
Nigeria
Rwanda
Senegal
Sierra Leone
South Africa
Swaziland
Tanzania
Tunisia
Uganda
Zambia
Zimbabwe

Group of 77 :

Algeria
Angola
Benin
Botswana
Burkina Faso
Burundi
Cameroon
Cape Verde
Central African Republic
Chad
Comoros
Republic of the Congo
Côte d'Ivoire
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Djibouti
Egypt
Equatorial Guinea
Eritrea
Ethiopia
Gabon
The Gambia
Ghana
Guinea
Guinea-Bissau
Kenya
Lesotho
Liberia
Libya
Madagascar
Malawi
Mali
Mauritania
Mauritius
Morocco
Mozambique
Namibia
Niger
Nigeria
Rwanda
São Tomé and Príncipe
Senegal
Sierra Leone
Somalia
South Africa
Sudan
Swaziland
Tunisia
Uganda
Tanzania
Zambia
Zimbabwe

Indian Ocean Commission :

Comoros
Madagascar
Mauritius
Seychelles

Liptako–Gourma Authority :

Burkina Faso,
Mali
Niger

Mano River Union :

Guinea
Liberia
Sierra Leone

OPEC :

Algeria
Libya
Nigeria

Linguistic

Community of Portuguese Language Countries :

Angola
Cape Verde
Guinea-Bissau
Mozambique
São Tomé and Príncipe

Organisation internationale de la Francophonie :

Benin
Burkina Faso
Burundi
Cameroon
Cape Verde
Central African Republic
Chad
Comoros
Congo, Democratic Republic of the
Congo, Republic of
Ivory Coast
Djibouti
Egypt
Equatorial Guinea
Gabon
Ghana
Guinea
Guinea-Bissau
Madagascar
Mali
Mauritania
Mauritius
Morocco
Niger
Rwanda
São Tomé and Príncipe
Senegal
Seychelles
Togo
Tunisia

Organization of Ibero-American States :

Equatorial Guinea

Religious

Organisation of Islamic Cooperation :

Algeria
Benin
Burkina Faso
Cameroon
Chad
Comoros
Côte d'Ivoire
Djibouti
Egypt
Gabon
The Gambia
Guinea
Guinea-Bissau
Libya
Mali
Mauritania
Morocco
Mozambique
Niger
Nigeria
Senegal
Sierra Leone
Sudan
Somalia
Tunisia
Uganda

Diplomatic missions

The African Union maintains special diplomatic representation with the United States,^[1] European Union, and as of 2022 has plans for a mission to the People's Republic of China.^[2] In 2011, the United States Mission to the African Union donated a state of the art multimedia box to the cash-starved African Union in a formal ceremony, in which they also presented new interns who will be trained to use it.^[3]

References

↑ "United States Mission to the African Union". United States Mission to the African Union. Retrieved May 10, 2012.
↑ Gençtürk, Ahmet (10 February 2022). "African Union to open permanent mission in Beijing" (Press release). Anadolu Agency . Retrieved 16 February 2022.
↑ "United States Mission to the African Union donates Audio Visual Broadcast Media Multi Box to the AUC". United States Mission to the African Union. September 22, 2011. Archived from the original on September 25, 2015. Retrieved May 10, 2012.

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[USAU-1] "United States Mission to the African Union". United States Mission to the African Union. Retrieved May 10, 2012.

[2] Gençtürk, Ahmet (10 February 2022). "African Union to open permanent mission in Beijing" (Press release). Anadolu Agency . Retrieved 16 February 2022.

[Multi_box-3] "United States Mission to the African Union donates Audio Visual Broadcast Media Multi Box to the AUC". United States Mission to the African Union. September 22, 2011. Archived from the original on September 25, 2015. Retrieved May 10, 2012.

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v t e Strategic Partnerships of the African Union
Continent to Continent	Asian–African Sub-Regional Organisations Conference Africa – European Union Partnership Africa–South America Summit
Continent to Region	Africa–Arab Summit Africa–CARICOM Summit Africa–Nordic relations
Continent to Country	AAPF / China-Africa economic FOCAC France–Africa Germany–Africa India–Africa Forum Summit Indonesia–Africa Iran–Africa Italy–Africa TICAD North Korea–Africa South Korea–Africa 2024 Russia–Africa 2019 2023 Africa–Britain U.S.–Africa summits 2014 2022 AGOA