Ethiopia – AU Summit Kicks Off
The 33rd Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the African Union commenced at the AU Headquarters early this afternoon.
In his opening speech, Chairperson of the African Union Commission Moussa Faki Mohama congratulated Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed for winning the Nobel Peace Prize.
He further said that Africa needs to stand in solidarity to combat terrorism and conflicts.
Some African countries and sub-regions are frequently becoming targets of terror attacks and suffering from climate change impacts, he noted.
The chairperson mentioned DRC, Mozambique, the Sahel region, Horn of Africa and Chad Basin, and the flooding of unexpected cyclones and locust outbreaks in Ethiopia and Kenya and other parts of the continent as challenges on top of the coronavirus.
The DRC, Mozambique, the Horn of Africa, Sahel Region and Chad basin have been under terrorist attacks where civilians, children and women are victims.
Moreover, he called for African solutions in consultation with the UN as the Libyan and the Western Sahara conflicts cannot be resolved militarily.
According to him, the African Union is working with relevant African and international organizations to resolve conflicts and build a peaceful Africa.
Parts of the continent are grappling with terror attacks and threats, inter-ethnic conflicts and election related disputes, which are the challenges to silence the guns; and “we need to redouble efforts,” he stressed.
The AU is working towards women empowerment, gender parity, and financial inclusion and encouraging entrepreneurs, he pointed out.
The meeting of the Heads of State and Government is underway under the theme: “Silencing the Guns: Creating Conducive Conditions for Africa’s Development.”
(Source – ENA – https://www.ena.et/en/?p=12465)
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