The 23rd Summit of COMESA Heads of State and Government took place in Bujumbura, Burundi, on October 31, 2024. During this event, President Evariste Ndayishimiye assumed the role of Chair of the regional bloc, succeeding Zambia’s President Hakainde Hichilema, who formally handed over COMESA’s instruments of power. President Ndayishimiye will lead the 21-member trade bloc for the next year.

The summit, themed “Accelerating Regional Integration through the Development of Regional Value Chains in Climate-Resilient Agriculture, Mining, and Tourism,” set the agenda for advancing collaboration across these key sectors. The gathering also saw the inauguration of a new COMESA Bureau, with Burundi as Chair, Kenya as Vice Chair, and Zambia as Rapporteur.

COMESA’s Secretary General, Chileshe Mpundu Kapwepwe, presented the State of Integration Report, highlighting significant achievements over the past year. Key developments included enhanced facilitation of intra-regional trade through improved customs border management, streamlined clearance procedures, and the digitization of trading instruments. Additionally, Kapwepwe reported on the expansion of the regional food balance sheet, which has been strengthened to support food security initiatives across member states.

A notable announcement from the summit was the launch of a program aiming to connect 100 million people to clean energy within the next seven years, reflecting COMESA’s commitment to sustainable development.

Several Heads of State attended and addressed the summit, including President Felix Tshisekedi of the Democratic Republic of Congo and President Andry Nirina Rajoelina of Madagascar.

In the same event, five members of the COMESA Committee of Elders were formally sworn in, pledging their commitment to upholding the values and principles of the organization. The oath was administered by H.E. Evariste Ndayishimiye, Chairperson of the COMESA Authority, and witnessed by other Heads of State and high-ranking leaders. The appointees were selected during the 22nd Summit held in Lusaka in June 2023.

The newly inducted Elders are:

• Amb. Shemsudin Ahmed Roble from Ethiopia
• Amb. Dr. John Otachi Kakonge from Kenya
• Rt. Hon. Dr. Ruhakana Rugunda from Uganda
• Amb. Patrice Eugene Cure from Mauritius
• Amb. Marie-Pierre Emilienne Lloyd from Seychelles

In taking the oath, the Elders committed to impartially fulfilling their responsibilities in accordance with the COMESA Treaty, the Rules of Procedure for the COMESA Committee of Elders, and the Mediation Guidelines, as well as all other relevant COMESA laws.

Established by the COMESA Authority during its 11th Summit in Djibouti in November 2006, the COMESA Committee of Elders serves as a mediation body, offering preventive diplomacy and peacebuilding support across the region. The Elders are deployed by the Office of the Secretary General to undertake critical peace-making and mediation assignments in line with COMESA’s commitment to fostering stability and cooperation within member states.

Meanwhile, four journalists from Burundi, Kenya, Mauritius, and Zambia were honored for their outstanding contributions to promoting regional integration programs across the COMESA region. The awardees were Mr. Leonidas Ninteretse from Burundi, Mr. Jacob Walter Ochieng from Kenya, Mr. Abdel Baulacky from Mauritius, and Ms. Tryness Tembo from Zambia.

The next COMESA Summit is scheduled to take place in Kenya in 2025.