Tunisian President meets African Union Vice President

Tunisian President Kaïs Saïed met with Salma Malika Haddadi, Vice President of the African Union Commission, at the Carthage Palace on June 19, 2026. Saïed congratulated Algeria on Haddadi's election to the high-level AU position and wished her success.

The meeting focused on the importance of reinforcing and developing the African Union's structures to enhance cooperation and joint action among African nations. President Saïed called for new strategies and updated concepts, suggesting that traditional frameworks are no longer sufficient given the profound changes occurring globally. He reaffirmed Tunisia's dedication to the founding principles of the Organization of African Unity, which was succeeded by the African Union.

Saïed highlighted the persistent ideal of African unity despite ongoing crises, conflicts, and inequalities across the continent. He asserted that a sustained, common political will could transform this ideal into reality, paving the way for a new future for Africa and humanity. The president also pointed out the paradoxes facing many African countries, which possess abundant natural resources yet struggle with internal conflicts, poverty, epidemics, and social vulnerabilities.

Tunisia's commitment to an Africa "for Africans" was reiterated, alongside a call to dismantle irregular migration networks involved in human and organ trafficking. Saïed concluded by stating it is time to break from past patterns and build new momentum with fresh approaches. He advocated for a more just international order that guarantees peoples' rights and ends wars, forced displacement, and injustice. He specifically affirmed the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people to establish an independent and sovereign state with al-Quds as its capital.