AU WEEKLY
31 March--6 April , 2014 AU WEEKLY
…keeping you updated @Oxfam_AU
Oxfam International Liaison Office with the African Union: OI-AU
In this issue
PEACE AND SECURITY AU High-Level Panel in Cairo for talks
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Peacekeepers ‘overwhelmed’ in Central African Republic
An African Union delegation arrived in Cairo early Sunday on a four-day visit for talks with senior government officials. The African Union High-Level Panel for Egypt comprises of panel chairman Alpha Oumar Konare, the former Malian president, Festus Gontebanye Mogae, former president of Botswana and Dileita Mohamed Dileita, the former premier of Djibouti.
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AU to anniversary genocide
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Sudan’s SPLM Intra-party dialogue launched in Addis Ababa
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African ministers move to boost employment
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African-EU Summit pledge to improve legal immigration
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Chad troops withdraw from CAR
Egypt’s state-run MENA news agency quoted a diplomatic source with the African Union as saying that the visit came at an invitation from Egyptian Foreign Minister Nabil Fahmi. The delegation is scheduled to hold talks with Fahmi, Transitional Justice Minister Mohamed Amin al-Mahdi, Al-Azhar Grand Imam Ahmed al-Tayeb and Coptic Orthodox Pope Tawadros II.
commemorate of Rwanda
The delegation will also meet with members of the electoral commission, according to committee’s chief Abdel-Aziz Salman. Further Reading: http://www.worldbulletin.net/news/133001/ african-union-delegation-in-cairo
U.N. Chief says peacekeepers ‘overwhelmed’ in Central African Republic U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon warned on Saturday that French and African soldiers in Central African Republic were “overwhelmed” by a “state of anarchy,” a day after Chadian troops began withdrawing from the peacekeeping mission. The U.N. Security Council is due to approve a 12,000-strong
U.N. peacekeeping force, which will take over authority from AU troops in an attempt to restore order. But that force is not expected to arrive until September, stoking fears of a security vacuum, as the interim government struggles to control intercommunal violence that has killed more than 2,000 people since
December. During a brief visit to the country, Ban appealed for more help and said the international community was at risk of repeating the mistakes of the 1994 Rwanda genocide where some 800,000 died. http://www.worldbulletin. net/world/132974/un-chiefsays-c-african-republicpeacekeepers-overwhelmed
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Dlamini-Zuma welcomes launch of SPLM Intra-Party Dialogue Forum On Sunday, April 6, the AU presided over the launch of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) Intra-Party Dialogue Forum, under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Hailemariam Dessalegn of Ethiopia,
Chairperson of the InterGovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD). The Chairperson of the AU Commission, Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma commended the Ethiopian People’s RevolutionaryDemocratic
Front (EPRDF) and the African National Congress (ANC) for having accepted to facilitate the Forum. http://www.peaceau.org/ uploads/auc-com-southsudan-06-04-2014.pdf
AU ‘understands’ reasons for Chad withdrawal from CAR The Chairperson of the AU Commission, Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma has said the withdrawal of the Chadian troops from the Support Mission to the Central African Republic (MISCA) was because Chad “had been the target of repeated
attacks by the antiBalaka elements and the stigmatization of the Chadian contigent had contributed to a climate of insecurity and hostility for which the nationals of that country had paid a heavy price.” Dlamini-Zuma said that while
she understood the reasons for this departure, the AU was grateful for the invaluable contribution of Chad to the peace and reconciliation efforts in the CAR. http://www.peaceau. org/uploads/cua-comrca-03-04-2014-3-.pdf
ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL AFFAIRS African Ministers move to boost employment, productivity African finance, planning and economic development ministers resolved to take bold and necessary steps to increase productivity
for investment and growth rate of the agricultural, manufacturing and modern services sectors to boost employment on the continent. The ministers urged members to use monetary, credit
and exchange rate policies to support the growth of industrialisation to combat poverty and unemployment as is done in India, China and Cambodia. http://www.thisdaylive. com/articles/africanministers-move-toboost-employmentproductivity/175491/
Africa-EU Summit pledge to improve legal immigration European Union (EU) and African leaders trying to stop migrants from crossing the Mediterranean in perilous conditions unveiled a raft of measures on Thursday, April 3, designed to boost
development and crack down on human trafficking. After tragic scenes of migrants storming fences in Spain and drownings off the Italian island of Lampedusa,
delegates drew up a detailed plan to boost legal immigration while trying to dissuade Africans from trying to reach Europe illegally.
http://www.bdlive.co.za/africa/africannews/2014/04/04/eu-ausummit-plan-to-boost-legal-immigration
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AU WEEKLY AU to commemorate 20th Anniversary of the Rwanda Genocide The Department of Political Affairs of the AU in collaboration with the Embassy of the Republic of Rwanda will jointly organize the Commemoration of the 20th Anniversary of the Rwanda Genocide. The event will take place at the AU Old Conference Hall on 11 April 2014 from 9:00am to 1:00pm. The theme of the event will
be: “Remember, Unite, and Renew”. It will be marked by the relay of a “flame of remembrance” among youth from the five regions of Africa. The event’s highlight will be a high level panel discussion by eminent personalities whose presentations will focus on: response of the AU to the Rwandan Genocide and lessons learned; better
management of diversity; capacity to prevent conflicts as well as post conflict reforms required to manage conflicts. It will also be an occasion to launch the bid for the design of the African Union Human Rights Memorial at the African Union Commission. http://pa.au.int/en/content/ commemoration-20thanniversary-rwanda-genocide
AU Commemorates International Mine Awareness and Assistance Day On Friday 4th April 2014, the AUC and the UN Mine Action Services (UNMAS), the United Nations Office to the AU (UNOAU) and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC),
marked the International Mine Awareness and Assistance Day under the theme “Women in Mine Action”.
and Zimbabwe as part of the AU’s efforts to support national efforts toward a Landmine-free Africa. http://www.peaceau.org/en/article/
At this event, the AUC handed press-release-the-african-unionover de-mining equipment to commemorates-international-mineEthiopia, Mauritania, Sudan awareness-day#sthash.bc7lXvYv.
AU sends long-term Observation Mission to the Malawi General Elections Following an invitation from the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC), the Chairperson of the African Union Commission (AUC) approved the deployment of an African Union Long-Term Observation (LTO) Mission to the Republic of Malawi’s General Elections scheduled for 20 May 2014. The LTO mission comprises ten (10) observers/experts from various African countries, who will be deployed on 12 April 2014 and will
remain in the country until the announcement of final results. The LTOs/ experts will be deployed in teams to cover different locations in the country and will observe all aspects of the electoral process, including the registration of candidates, voter education, campaign activities of political parties and candidates, training of election staff, media coverage, preparations for polling, as well as complaints and appeals process.
At a later stage, the LTO teams will be joined by a number of Short-Term Observers (STOs), who will arrive in Malawi approximately one week before election day. The AU LTO mission has a mandate to observe, collect and analyse information concerning the election process and will operate in accordance with relevant AU instruments for election observation. http://pa.au.int/en/content/ auc-chairperson-approvesdeployment-african-unionlong-term-observation-mission2014-general
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UPCOMING EVENTS DATE
7 – 11 APRIL
8-10
EVENT
VENUE
The third session of the conference of African Ministers of Transport
Ciudad de Sipopo, Malabo II, Equatorial Guinea
Africa Investment Forum
AU Commission Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
DEPARTMENT
CONTACT
Information and communication
dinfo@africa-union.org
Trade and Industry
Mrs. Treasure Thembisile MAPHANGA Director, Trade & Industry African Union Commission Addis Ababa, Ethiopia Tel.: + (251) 011 5 18 29 56 E-mail: maphangaT@africaunion.org
7-16
23rd Ordinary Session of the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare Of The Child
AU Commission Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
ACERWC Secretariat, AU Commission
Mr. Ayalew Getachew Assefa Child Rights Legal Researcher, ACERWC Secretariat Ayalewg@africa-union.org
Mr. Kameni Ngankam Y.G. Communication Officer, ACERWC Secretariat KameniY@africa-union.org
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AU WEEKLY 7-10 April
The 2nd Meeting of the Continental Task Force (CTF) on the Continental Free Trade Area (CFTA)
AU Commission Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Trade and Industry
Mrs. Treasure Thembisile MAPHANGA Director, Trade & Industry African Union Commission Addis Ababa, Ethiopia Tel.: + (251) 011 5 18 29 56 E-mail: maphangaT@africaunion.org
28 April-02 May
9 April
11 April
Joint AU Meeting of Ministers of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries, Aquaculture and Rural Development
AU Commission Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Rural Economy and Agriculture
Dr. Abebe Haile Gabriel Tel: (251) 11 551 77 00 email: AbebeHG@africaunion.org
PSC Briefing on Plenary, Old AU the situation Conference in the Central Centre African Republic (CAR)
Peace and Security
Plenary, Old AU Conference Centre
Peace and Security
Briefing on the situation in South Sudan
Director of Rural Economy and Agriculture
AU Peace and Security Council, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia Email: situationroom@africaunion.org
AU Peace and Security Council, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia Email: situationroom@africaunion.org
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