President Goodluck Jonathan will today arrive Addis Ababa, Ethiopia’s capital to attend the 19th Ordinary Session of the African Union Assembly holding at the AU headquarters from 15-16 July 2012.
The Summit with the theme ‘Boosting Intra-African Trade’ has as one of the primes on its agenda the election of the Chairperson and Deputy Chairperson of the African Union Commission (AUC).
The election is coming sequel to consideration of the report of the ad-hoc committee of heads of State and Governments set up for that purpose.
Those contesting the AUC position are incumbent chairman, Dr Jean Ping of Gabon and South African Nkosazana Dlamini- Zuma, even as some Commissioners and Judges of the African Court on Human Rights will be appointed.
Other issues for deliberations are consideration of the Report of the Peace and Security Council on the State of Peace and Security in Africa, focusing on countries witnessing crises, as well as consideration of the Report of the High Level Panel led by former President Olusegun Obasanjo on Alternative Sources of Financing the African Union.
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Olugbenga Ashiru is attending meeting of the Executive Council of the African Union alongside his counterparts from other countries ahead of the Assembly.
In his address, the Chairperson of the AUC, Dr. Jean Ping decried the escalation of tension between Sudan and Southern Sudan, the mutiny in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and the unconstitutional changes of government in Mali and Guinea Bissau, which he stressed, have all been of great concern to the Commission.
While welcoming the progress achieved through the democratic elections in Senegal and Lesotho, he noted that the operationalization of the African Standby Force (ASF) will further reinforce the peace and security architecture of the continent, and the strategic partnership with the UN system.
Ping said, “This will generate greater policy and strategic coherence in our approach when addressing the issue of peace and security on the continent “.