President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi of Egypt will officially hand over the chairpersonship of the continental body to President Cyril Ramaphosa during the Opening Session of the AU Assembly.

This year’s AU Summit is being held under the theme: “Silencing the Guns: Creating Conducive Conditions for Africa’s Development”. The summit will take stock of progress made and challenges to peace, stability and sustainable development in Africa.

Silencing the Guns is a commitment to achieve the Aspirations of Africa's Agenda 2063, specifically Aspiration 4, which envisions a peaceful and secure Africa, thereby making peace a reality for African people.

It was officially launched in 2002 as a successor to the Organisation of African Unity.

The African Union (AU) is a continental body consisting of 55 member states of the African continent. 

Amongst issues on the agenda, the 2020 AU Assembly will consider the report of 35th Ordinary Session of the Executive Council, the peace and security situation on the Continent, and draft legal instruments of the AU.

It will also receive presentations from various Heads of State and Government championing specific thematic issues of the Union including on malaria, migration, child marriage and health financing amongst others.

SABC