Angolan President João Lourenço on Thursday, 22 October, called on African nations to unite in demanding the streamlining of international financial flows, the prioritisation of non-reimbursable aid, and a fair package of concessional loans for climate adaptation.

Lourenço was speaking at the opening ceremony of the fourth edition of the Pan-African Forum for the Culture of Peace and Non-Violence — the Luanda Biennale — held in the Angolan capital and attended by Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) President Félix Tshissekedi.

The edition, which runs through Friday, is held under the theme “Strengthening Water Governance in Africa as an Instrument for the Prevention, Mediation and Resolution of Conflicts”.

According to Lourenço, the chosen theme opens the possibility of harnessing the talent of young Africans to found startups dedicated to water and sustainable sanitation technologies, to lead community-based solutions, and to act at the forefront of preventive diplomacy and community mediation.

The Angolan head of state said the water sector is among the country’s national priorities, citing various investments the Angolan state has made in this area and announcing the imminent inauguration of several projects.

Lourenço said the ‘Quilonga Grande’ water system is scheduled for inauguration in December this year and will supply five million inhabitants across the provinces of Luanda and Icolo e Bengo. The ‘Bita’ water system is expected to come into service by mid-2027, supplying an additional 2.5 million citizens in the same regions — bringing the total to 7.5 million new consumers within a span of just over six months.

For the Angolan president, Angola’s solutions and achievements could “serve as a reference, an inspiration, in the search for solutions” to the water problem, given the similar challenges faced across the African continent in this domain.

Lourenço said Angola’s accomplishments “demonstrate very clearly that water management, as a governance priority in Africa, when carried out responsibly and with the purpose of mitigating the problems of populations affected by scarcity of this resource, produces results that meet domestic needs and can be extended to neighbouring countries, generating economic and social benefits, and guaranteeing human dignity”.

The head of state advocated for action under the spirit of the African Union (AU), the commitments of the Kampala Declaration on Migration, Environment and Climate Change, and existing regional treaties — with a view to activating transboundary management committees and river basin commissions as pillars of mutual trust and preventive diplomacy.

In his address, the Congolese president noted that last July, in N’Djamena, the capital of Chad, he had called for the formation of an African coalition for water security.

Speaking in Luanda, Tshissekedi argued that three priorities should guide African actions, including close collaboration between states and mechanisms responsible for water and conflict prevention, and the creation of dialogue spaces to seek solutions to community conflicts linked to this resource.

UNESCO Reinforces Water Cooperation in Africa

The ceremony also featured remarks from the Director-General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), Khaled El-Enany, and a message from the AU’s current chairperson Évariste Ndayishimiye.

Khaled El-Enany expressed UNESCO’s readiness and commitment to work with Angola and the AU to translate initiatives emerging from the Biennale into tangible results for the continent.

El-Enany highlighted that UNESCO supports 17 African countries in risk reduction and the implementation of partnerships, as well as capacity-building in water management, through its network of 42 national committees.