What went down at AU summit

DORIS KASOTE, Lusaka

THE host country was Ethiopia, and the event was the 29th African Union (AU) summit that brought together heads of state and government to deliberate on various issues concerning the continental body.

The AU was established on May 26, 2001 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and launched on July 9, 2002 in South Africa, replacing its forerunner, the Organisation for African Unity (OAU).

The 29th AU summit was held under the theme ‘Harnessing demographic dividend through investments in youth’.

President Lungu was among the several heads of state that attended the summit. The President had a busy schedule that included attending the summit where he made presentations on two reports in addition to side meetings.

The two reports were the Master Plan on Stopping Arms Flowing into Africa by 2020 while the other report was on the Campaign to End Child Marriages.

President Lungu is the African champion on ending child marriage.

Chief Chikwanda of the Bemba people of Mpika, who also attended the summit, commended President Lungu for his efforts in fighting child marriages and called on other African leaders to follow suit for the fight to be won.

And in his report to the AU as chairperson of the peace and security committee, President Lungu reported that although there is progress in meeting some of the expectations of the road map, much more needs to be done.

He urged all members, the civil society and co-operating partners to continue propelling the AU’s efforts to attain Africa’s goal of being a peaceful and prosperous continent by 2020.

On conflicts on the continent, President Lungu told a European Union (EU) delegation during bilateral talks that there is need to learn from countries that have experienced tension.

He also noted that African democracy is incomparable to that practised by nations which have been under democratic rule for years.

However, Zambia has been recognised for its efforts to uphold the tenets of democracy, according to the AU election observer mission final report.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Harry Kalaba disclosed that the AU election observer mission declared last year’s general elections in Zambia as free and fair.

Mr Kalaba said the report, which was released during a closed session stated that Zambia held the elections in a peaceful and professional manner.

The AU election observer mission report also hailed the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) for enhancing its independence and transparency in the conduct of elections.

“Following the release of the report, it’s time to move on and the debate over elections needs to come to an end,” he said.

Summing it up, President Lungu said: “Democracy simply means accepting the rules, abiding by the rules and when a verdict is given, accept it and wait for another bout.”

And in line with the theme for the summit, AU chairperson Alpha Conde said there is need to invest in the youth as they make up 70 percent of the population.

Mr Conde, who is also President of Guinea, said leaders need to inculcate a sense of responsibility and decision-making in the youth.

And United Nations deputy secretary-general Amina Mohammed said the focus on youth is a reminder of creating a better world for the next generation.

 “We must never stop building bridges towards one another, overcoming broken promises on both sides by fortifying them to bear the weight of the expectations we have for one another, and that the world has for us,” she said.

Meanwhile, during the open session of the summit, AU Committee of 10 (C10) group chairperson President Ernest Koroma of Sierra Leone commended President Lungu and other heads of State for attending the Malabo summit.

The AU summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, was called to follow up on the C10 summit held in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, in May this year.

The committee is tasked to spearhead the AU’s quest for reforms in the United Nations Security Council.

“Let me thank the presidents of Zambia, Namibia, Equatorial Guinea and Congo, who themselves attended the summit in Malabo and made valuable contributions to the meeting,” President Koroma said.

When all was said and done, President Lungu described the summit as worthwhile because countries shared their experiences. Read more here