The Ambassador and HE Archbishop +Dieudonné Datonou, Apostolic Nuncio to Burundi met over lunch in Bujumbura to discuss possible areas of collaboration. Ambassador Murphy discussed the ongoing effort of the Order of Malta to achieve bilateral relations with the Republic of Burundi and Archbishop Datonou indicated that he would assist in all possible ways to achieve this goal.
The Sovereign Order of Malta and the Republic of Burundi have established full diplomatic relations. On 25 October, the Permanent Representative of the Republic of Burundi to the African Union, Ambassador Willy Nyamitwe, and Ambassador Michael P. Murphy, KM, the Permanent Representative of the Order of Malta to the African Union, signed a protocol of agreement in Addis Ababa – Ethiopia – for the establishment of diplomatic relations. “Together we can work to strengthen our efforts in health care, education, and social services, ensuring that the most marginalized in our societies receive the support they need. The Sovereign Order of Malta stands ready to partner with the Republic of Burundi in these endeavours, leveraging our extensive network of aid and resources to foster sustainable development and improve the lives of those we serve” stated Ambassador Murphy on the occasion of the ceremony. The Republic of Burundi becomes the 39th African nation to entertain diplomatic relations with the Sovereign Order of Malta. The number of countries with which the Sovereign Order of Malta enjoys diplomatic relations thus rises to 114.
The Grand Chancellor of the Sovereign Order of Malta received on 15th October, King Letsie III of Lesotho. Accompanied by the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Relations of the Kingdom of Lesotho, Lejone Mpotjoana, King Letsie III was welcomed at the Magistral Palace, seat of the Order’s government, by the Grand Chancellor Riccardo Paternò di Montecupo, the Grand Hospitaller Fra’ Alessandro de Franciscis and the inaugural Ambassador of the Order to Lesotho Michael P. Murphy, KM.
The Ambassador and Permanent Representative, Michael P. Murphy, KM and Deputy Head of Mission Merha Agonafer attended the Inauguration of Africa Hall, which celebrates the festive reopening of this historic building. Following extensive renovations, Africa Hall now stands as a modernized yet historically preserved site, reflecting its continued significance in pan-African and global diplomacy in light of its history as the birthplace of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU, 1963-1999). The ceremony was attended by The United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, H.E. Moussa Faki Mahamat, Chairperson of the African Union Commission, H.E. Mohamed Salem Ould Merzoug, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, representing the Chairperson of the African Union and H.E. Abiy Ahmed, Prime Minister of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia.
