ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia - The Minister of Home Affairs, the Hon. Alexa Lightbourne JP, MP, is leading Bermuda’s delegation at the 2nd Africa-CARICOM Summit, taking place in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia from September 6 - 8, 2025.
Hosted by the African Union Commission, the Summit is a pivotal event in the Government’s strategic pursuit of full membership in the Caribbean Community (CARICOM).
The event has brought together a distinguished gathering of global leaders, that includes UN Secretary-General António Guterres and the President of Angola and Chairperson of the African Union, H.E. João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço, among other African and Caribbean Heads of Government/State.
And Minister Lightbourne’s presence in Addis Ababa underscores Bermuda’s commitment to not only strengthening its ties within the Caribbean family but also to engaging with Africa on a broader, more impactful scale. These include discussions with the Bahamas Prime Minister the Hon. Philip “Brave” Davis, K.C., Prime Minister of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Dr. the Hon. Ralph Everard Gonsalves and Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda, the Hon. Gaston Browne.
About the 2nd Africa-CARICOM Summit:
This year’s Summit, under the theme “Transcontinental Partnership in Pursuit of Reparatory Justice for Africans and People of African Descent Through Reparations,” is the first in-person gathering of its kind.
It follows the inaugural virtual summit held in 2021, and provides a crucial platform for Afri-Caribbean leaders to discuss shared challenges and forge a common agenda on issues ranging from debt sustainability and climate change to food security and the establishment of a transatlantic air route.
While Bermuda's current status as an observer limits formal participation in all plenary sessions, the Minister is attending key events to advocate on behalf of the island, demonstrating the value of a direct voice for Bermuda on the world stage.
Minister Lightbourne said, “As descendants of Africa, dispersed across oceans by history, our gathering in Addis Ababa carries profound meaning.
“The voices we carry from home, and the voices of the diaspora in places such as Shashemene, call Bermuda to build a future anchored in justice, equity, and solidarity, with our Caribbean and African brothers and sisters.
“The strength of this moment lies in connection. Connection between our island and the wider Caribbean family. Connection between the Caribbean and Africa. And connection between all the diaspora communities who keep alive the memory of our shared struggle and the possibility of our shared future.”
Minister Lightbourne is accompanied on this visit by the Ministry of Home Affairs Permanent Secretary, Pandora Glasford.