Uganda has signed a Host Country Agreement with the African Union (AU) to establish the headquarters of the continental humanitarian agency in the country, with the institution expected to become fully operational within three years.
President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni witnessed the signing ceremony on Wednesday at State House, Entebbe, marking a step towards establishing the agency responsible for strengthening Africa’s response to humanitarian emergencies.
The agreement was signed on behalf of the Ugandan government by Attorney General Sam Mayanja, while the African Union was represented by Commissioner for Health, Humanitarian Affairs and Social Development, Ambassador Amma Twum-Amoah.
President Museveni welcomed the decision to locate the agency’s headquarters in Uganda, saying it would help coordinate humanitarian assistance, including the distribution of food and other essential supplies to people affected by disasters and other emergencies.
He said the institution would strengthen Africa’s capacity to respond to humanitarian challenges and improve the coordination of assistance to vulnerable populations across the continent.
Mayanja thanked President Museveni for spearheading Uganda’s successful bid to host the agency, revealing that the country scored 85 per cent during the selection process.
He said the score reflected the confidence and recognition Uganda enjoys within the African Union.
According to Mayanja, the establishment process is expected to begin in December 2026 and take approximately three years before the agency becomes fully operational.
He said the Host Country Agreement provides the legal and institutional framework for setting up and operating the agency in Uganda, adding that the government was committed to fulfilling its obligations.
Minister of Relief, Disaster Preparedness and Refugees Sam Engola described the agreement as a significant development in strengthening humanitarian cooperation among African countries.
He credited Uganda’s selection to its longstanding contribution to humanitarian assistance, particularly its policy of receiving refugees and supporting displaced people from different parts of the world.
Engola said Uganda’s experience in refugee management would provide a foundation for the agency’s work.
Twum-Amoah thanked President Museveni and the Ugandan government for accepting to host the institution, describing the agreement as an important step towards translating Africa’s political commitment to humanitarian action into an operational institution.
She said Uganda was a suitable location because of its history of solidarity with people affected by displacement and forced migration.
The Commissioner also pointed to Kampala’s association with the 2009 Kampala Convention, the African Union’s legal framework for protecting and assisting internally displaced persons.
She said the location could become a continental centre for coordinating humanitarian action, strengthening institutional capacity and mobilising support for affected populations.
Twum-Amoah said Africa faces growing humanitarian challenges arising from armed conflicts, forced displacement, climate-related disasters, food insecurity and disease outbreaks, leaving millions of people vulnerable.
She called for stronger African capacity to anticipate and respond to emergencies, support member states and protect vulnerable communities.
The Commissioner said the agency should not remain an institution on paper but become an instrument of African solidarity, coordinated action and humanitarian diplomacy.
She revealed that the African Union Commission had already mobilised the initial staff required to begin operationalising the agency.
The Commission is working with the Ugandan government to facilitate the deployment of the first team to Kampala, preferably by the end of November or, at the latest, by mid-December 2026.
Twum-Amoah said the early deployment would mark the beginning of the agency’s physical presence in Uganda and help build the operational capacity needed to fulfil the mandate given to it by African Heads of State and Government.