African Union opens 50th anniversary celebrations
African leaders on Saturday opened celebrations for the 50th jubilee of the continental bloc, with Africa's myriad problems set aside for a day to mark the progress that has been made. 26 May 2013 By AFP In Summary •Leaders say the celebrations would boost the movement to support pan-Africanism. •Development indicators on the continent -- including health, education, infant mortality, economic growth and democracy -- have improved steadily in the past 50 years. •Africa is home to some of the fastest growing economies in the world according to the IMF, and has attracted huge amounts of foreign investment in recent years. ADDIS ABABA- African Union Chairman and Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn, in a speech to open the ceremony, said the celebrations would look forward to "create a continent free from poverty and conflict and an Africa whose citizens enjoy a middle income status." Today's 54-member AU is the successor of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), established amid the heady days as independence from colonial rule swept the continent in 1963. "While our founders met for the formation of the OAU at the dawn of the independence period 50 years ago, it is fitting that we are meeting here today at a time when Africa is rising," Hailemariam added. Leaders said the celebrations would boost the movement to support pan-Africanism. "When we therefore talk about African solutions to African problems, it is because we know that we can only permanently silence the guns if we act in solidarity and unity," AU Commission chief Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma. "We committed ourselves to honour this historic commemoration by having celebrations that are memorable, that are across the globe... and that will leave a long legacy." African leaders were joined by UN leader Ban Ki-moon, Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff and US Secretary of State John Kerry, while French President Francois Hollande and China's Vice Premier Wang Yang were expected to attend celebrations later. Mass dancing troupes are set to perform musical dramas later Saturday to some 10,000 guests in a giant hall in the Ethiopian capital. Development indicators on the continent -- including health, education, infant mortality, economic growth and democracy -- have improved steadily in the past 50 years. Africa is home to some of the fastest growing economies in the world according to the IMF, and has attracted huge amounts of foreign investment in recent years. At the same time 24 out of the 25 nations at the bottom of UN human development index are in Africa, and the subsequent summit will tackle a range of crises the continent faces. -AP RELATED ARTICLE 50 years on, Africa awaits long journey ahead By Tesfa-Alem Tekle May 25, 2013 (ADDIS ABABA) – African leaders on Saturday gathered at the African Union (AU) headquarters in Addis Ababa where they began a two-day meeting to consult and exchange views on the continent’s future during the coming half century. Fifty years since the establishment of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) – replaced by the African Union (AU) in 2002 – continental leaders said that although Africa has made progress over the past decades, much remains to be done to transform the continent and tackle ongoing challenges. Opening the anniversary of the golden jubilee, AU chairman and Ethiopian prime minister Hailemariam Desalegn said that African leaders should strengthen efforts to realise a continent free from poverty and conflict. The Ethiopian leader called on African countries to work hard towards obtaining middle income status, adding that this could not be achieved without the commitment of Africa leadership and a paradigm shift in political thinking. “While our founders met for the formation of the OAU at the dawn of the independence period 50 years ago, it is fitting that we are meeting here today at a time when Africa is rising”, Hailemariam said while addressing the heads of state in attendance at the AU headquarters. The AU Commission’s (AUC) chairperson, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, noted that the formation of the OAU/AU marked a turning point when African Leaders began to consider collective ways the continent could move forward and address its shared challenges. “AFRICAN SOLUTIONS TO AFRICAN PROBLEMS” “When we talk about African solutions to African problems, it is because we know that we can only permanently silence the guns if we act in solidarity and unity”, she said. However, Zuma went on to say that “the self-reliance and economic independence that our founders spoke of remains a bit elusive and social inequalities remain”. She said that promoting peace and stability through integration, greater unity, democratisation and sustainable development are key areas that would ensure “a peaceful, prosperous and united Africa driven by its own citizens”. Participants told Sudan Tribune that the celebrations of continental unity would be crucial to garnering increased support for the move towards pan-Africanism. Despite the strides made in the past five decades, participants said that the continent still had a way to go before becoming self-reliant and free from economic dependence. “Africans should use all kinds of resources to pull continents from poverty”, Amina Mama, a researcher and writer said, adding that African leaders need to do more to empower women economically. TOWARDS PAN-AFRICANISM African leaders were also given the opportunity to express their views and positions during Saturday’s debate on the topic “Pan-Africanism and African Renaissance”. Panellists said an African renaissance could not be realised unless African leaders put more collective efforts in to encouraging democracy, deepening the rule of law, ending deadly wars and the abuse of power, as well as ensuring sustainable peace and security across the continent. Economic challenges and opportunities, developmental strategies for Africa, good governance, agriculture, climate change, human rights, and emerging threats to peace and security were among the areas of discussion. Attendees at the OAU/AU celebrations included UN chief Ban Ki-moon, US secretary of state John Kerry, French president Francois Hollande, China’s vice-premier, Wang Yang, as well as leaders and representatives from Russia, Sweden, France, Iran, Brazil and Cuba. (ST) Posted in: Home, Foreign Relations, Governance -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "South Sudan Info - The Kob" group. 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