PAP President Charumbira’s Historic Visit to Angola Strengthens Parliamentary Diplomacy and Economic Integration Agenda

The President of the Pan-African Parliament (PAP), H.E. Chief Fortune Zephania Charumbira, undertook an official visit to the Republic of Angola from 13–16 August 2025, marking the first-ever such engagement between the continental legislature and Angola’s National Assembly. The visit underscored PAP’s commitment to fostering parliamentary diplomacy, strengthening regional integration, and promoting the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) as a cornerstone of Africa’s economic transformation.

Chief Charumbira arrived in Luanda on the evening of 13 August to a warm reception at the 4th of February International Airport by senior parliamentary figures, including the First Vice President of the National Assembly, Hon. Américo Cuononoca; the Chairperson of the Committee on Foreign Relations, International Cooperation and Angolan Communities, Hon. Alcides Sakala Simões; and the President of the National Group for Monitoring of African Parliamentary Organizations, Hon. Manuel Domingos Augusto  who is also the leader of the Angolan delegation to the Pan African Parliament.

Strategic Meetings and Symbolic Gestures

On 14 August, the PAP President held a courtesy meeting with the Speaker of the National Assembly of Angola, Hon. Carolina Cerqueira, at the Palace of the National Assembly. Discussions centred on strengthening bilateral ties in line with Article 11(7) of the PAP Protocol, which mandates coordination and harmonization of policies and programmes between national, regional, and continental parliamentary institutions. Chief Charumbira also met with the Committee on Foreign Relations and the Angolan Delegation to the PAP (Hon. Adalberto Costa Júnior, Hon. Arlete Borges, Hon. Maria Rosa Escovalo, and Hon. Joao Miguel Vaheken), where he issued a rallying call for national parliaments to play a more decisive role in resolving Africa’s conflicts.

Later that day, Chief Charumbira met with the President of the Republic of Angola and current Chairperson of the African Union, H.E. João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço, to discuss PAP’s operational effectiveness and its role within the AU governance architecture.

A guided tour of the National Assembly was followed by the planting of a commemorative tree in the North Garden of the Assembly, symbolising the enduring friendship between PAP and the Angolan legislature. The day concluded with an official lunch hosted by Speaker Cerqueira.

Advocacy for AfCFTA and SADC Parliamentary Transformation

During his engagements, Chief Charumbira urged full support for the AfCFTA, emphasising its potential to boost intra-African trade by 32% and to reduce reliance on external markets. He noted that Africa, endowed with 60% of the world’s arable land, should not depend on grain imports from war-torn countries but should instead enhance internal trade to ensure self-sufficiency and global competitiveness.

In a notable diplomatic exchange, he conveyed a message from the Speaker of Zimbabwe’s National Assembly and Chairperson of the SADC Speakers’ Lobbying Team, Hon. Jacob Mudenda, encouraging Angola to sign the Agreement establishing the SADC Regional Parliament. Speaker Cerqueira confirmed that Angola’s Minister of Foreign Affairs had signed the agreement on 13 August, paving the way for the transformation of the SADC Parliamentary Forum into a fully-fledged Regional Parliament.

Championing Parliamentary Diplomacy in Conflict Resolution

Addressing the Committee on Foreign Relations, Chief Charumbira highlighted parliamentary diplomacy as an increasingly recognised mechanism for conflict resolution. He challenged the Angolan legislature to engage their counterparts in countries like the DRC and Rwanda to help address protracted crises. “Parliamentarians cannot afford to take a back seat while African citizens bear the brunt of conflicts, terrorism, and unconstitutional changes of government,” he asserted.

Hon. Alcides Sakala Simões reaffirmed Angola’s commitment to multilateral cooperation and its readiness to deepen bilateral relations with PAP.

Cultural and Institutional Engagements

The visit also featured cultural and historical elements, including tours of the Dr. António Agostinho Neto Memorial and the Museum of National Military History. On 15 August, Chief Charumbira attended the solemn plenary meeting to close the 3rd Legislative Session of the 5th Legislature of Angola’s National Assembly.

Accompanied by Hon. Aires Ali, Deputy Chairperson of the PAP Southern Region Caucus and Leader of Mozambique’s delegation to PAP, Chief Charumbira will depart Luanda on Saturday, concluding a visit widely hailed as a milestone in strengthening PAP’s bonds with national legislatures, promoting economic integration, and advancing Africa-led conflict resolution initiatives.