Thumbs-up for AU
By Innocent Gore recently in Maputo, Mozambique ;
sundaymail 13/7/2003
THE second African Union heads of state and
government summit
ended in Maputo, Mozambique, yesterday, with
President Mugabe
describing it as one of the best conferences of
African leaders.
Speaking to reporters soon after arrival at Harare
International Airport,
Cde Mugabe said many issues were tackled at this
year�s summit, the
second since the African Union�s transformation from
the Organisation of
African Unity a year ago.
Issues discussed included the structure of the union,
appointment of
people to the union�s various structures, the work of
the union, conflicts
on the continent, economic development, HIV/Aids and
other issues.
"So it was a mammoth conference with mammoth
programmes and
mammoth details. But it was one of the best
conferences, and
discussions were very open and there were commitments
to the African
Union.
"So it was a happy development, a happy step towards
the relations of
members. We are happy that there is that commitment
and, as was
shown by the attendance by heads of state and
government, it was the
maximum that we have had.
"The majority came and it was a very happy event
indeed," the President
said.
More than 40 heads of state and government attended
the summit and
President Mugabe was elected to the union�s bureau as
one of the five
vice-chairmen who represent the continent�s various
regions.
Cde Mugabe, who will represent Southern Africa, said
his election
showed the respect and honour given to Zimbabwe by
the AU.
"It is an honour to us and also serves to put paid to
those in hostile
circles who think that Zimbabwe is being isolated,"
said Cde Mugabe,
who on Thursday chaired a session which considered a
report on the
implementation of the New Partnership for Africa�s
Development.
Observers said the summit signalled the real
operationalisation of the
AU and the beginning of the process of implementation
and ratification of
the union�s important protocols.
The summit elected people to run the AU Commission,
which had been
managed by Mr Amara Essy of Cote d'Ivore in an acting
capacity.
Former Malian president Mr Alpha Omar Konare was
elected chairman
of the commission and will be deputised by Rwandan Mr
Patrick
Mazimhaka.
Five women and two men were elected as commissioners
to the AU
Commission. The union�s constitution stipulates that
at least half of the
commissioners should be women. The commissioners
represent
Africa�s five regions and they will take up their
positions in September.
During the summit, Zimbabwe ratified the
establishment of the Pan
African Parliament, a development the Minister of
Foreign Affairs, Cde
Stan Mudenge, described as important for the country
and the
development of the union.
The Pan African Parliament is expected to be the
legislative institution of
the AU and the custodian of its democratic values.
For three days, the African leaders discussed peace
and security on the
continent, with particular emphasis on the Comoros,
Somalia, the
Sudan, Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo,
Angola, the Central
African Republic, Cote d'Ivoire and Liberia.
The establishment of a Peace and Security Council
featured high on the
agenda and the leaders called for international
support to end conflicts
on the continent and for reconstruction, development
and rehabilitation of
refugees in countries ravaged by the conflicts.
They also tackled health issues, especially the
HIV/Aids scourge,
malaria and polio, as well as trade matters and
conservation of natural
resources on the continent.
They expressed concern at the increasing rate of
droughts and famine in
Africa, noting that this is likely to increase
further unless mitigatory
measures were taken in time.
The leaders appealed to member countries, regional
and international
humanitarian and donor agencies to provide financial
support to the
special emergency assistance fund for drought and
famine in Africa.
They reaffirmed that the integration of Nepad into
the AU Commission
should be gradual and should commence after the
Maputo summit. They
urged regional representatives in Nepad to keep all
members informed
regularly of developments in Nepad.
President Mugabe held bilateral talks with Kenyan
President Mr Mwai
Kibaki, Swaziland�s King Mswati, Libyan Assistant
Minister for African
Affairs Mr Ghnas Mukhtar and the head of the Arab
Bank for African
Development, Mr Medhat Lotfy, on the sidelines of the
summit.
King Mswati said he had invited the President to the
Southern Africa
International Dialogue to be held in his country next
month.
African First Ladies, including Cde Grace Mugabe,
also gathered on the
sidelines of the summit to discuss efforts to tackle
Aids.
Their meeting was a follow-up to a similar gathering
a year ago.
Mitayo Potosi
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