AU WEEKLY
17-24 March , 2014 AU WEEKLY
…keeping you updated @Oxfam_AU Oxfam
Oxfam International Liaison Office with the African Union: OI-AU
In this issue
PEACE AND SECURITY South Sudan talks fail to resume South Sudan warring parties failed to resume planned peace talks on Thursday 20th March. Rebel spokesman Yohannis Musa Pouk told the Media in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, where the talks were scheduled to have restarted that the blame was on South Sudan government side. On the other hand, the government has repeatedly said it is committed to the peace process and has in turn accused the rebels of violating a January ceasefire.
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South Sudan talks fail to resume
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PSC Revises Formula,
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The CAR International Contact Group holds 4th Meeting
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EU President discusses Somalia, South Sudan, CAR
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African political parties offer to mediate in conflicts
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African Diaspora remittances better than foreign aid
Livingstone
However, the IGAD mediation team are said to have confirmed that the talks will resume soon but did not provide a date. The talks are aimed at ending over three months of fighting that has already killed thousands and forced nearly one million people from their homes. Both sides signed a ceasefire agreement which they have both repeatedly violated.
PSC Revises Livingstone Formula, This week, the AUC published the Final Conclusions of the PSC retreat on Enhancing the Implementation of the Livingstone Formula for Interaction. Adopted during the PSC 421st Meeting held on 5th March 2014, the Maseru Conclusions were drawn at PSC Retreat held in Maseru, Kingdom of Lesotho from 22nd to 23rd February, 2014 to review progress, challenges and opportunities in the implementation of the Livingston Formula.
Further Reading: http://www.naharnet. com/stories/en/123268-s-sudan-peacetalks-stalled-despite-sanction-threats
The PSC Retreat, received recommendations from representatives of CSOs who held an independent consultative forum in Maseru prior to the Retreat. The Maseru Retreat was held in line with Article 20 of the Protocol Relating to the Establishment of the African Union (AU) Peace and Security Council (2004) and the AU PSC adopted a mechanism for interaction with CSOs in Livingstone,
Zambia in 2008, which encourages non-governmental organizations, community based organizations and other civil society organizations to participate actively in the efforts aimed at promoting peace, security and stability in Africa and provides a mechanism for interaction between the PSC and CSOs. The need for review of progress on the implementation of the Livingstone formula was a collective realisation by both
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CSOs and the PSC that interaction between them had not fully exhausted all the opportunities outlined in the Formula, while highlighting a number of deficiencies. The Maseru Conclusions have recognised the role of the AUC PSC Secretariat in facilitating interaction between the PSC and
CSOs. The Conclusions also provide that a data base of CSOs working on peace and security be developed by AUC Citizens and Diaspora Directorate (CIDO) together with the PSC Secretariat. CSOs can now be invited to the PSC and Permanent Representatives Council meetings as observers while
the AUC Chairperson will work with the PSC Secretariat to organise the Annual meeting between the PSC and CSOs.
Further reading: http://issuu.com/85991/ docs/maseru_ conclusion_eng
The CAR International Contact Group holds 4th Meeting The International Contact Group on the Central African Republic (ICG-CAR) held its fourth meeting in Brazzaville, on Friday, 21 March 2014, under the co-chairmanship of Mr. Basile Ikouebe, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of the
Republic of the Congo, and Ambassador Sma誰l Chergui, Commissioner for Peace and Security of the African Union (AU). The Meeting stressed on the necessity and urgency of more sustained efforts regarding the reform of the defense and security sector
and the programme for disarmament, demobilization and reintegration (DDR).
Further reading: http://www.peaceau. org/uploads/auc. conclusions.4th-mtg.icg. car.pdf
AMISOM and Somali National Army capture town from Al-Shabaab On 22nd March 2014, Somali National Army backed by African Union forces captured the key town of Qoryooley in Lower Shabelle. Located 120 kilometers Southwest of Mogadishu, Qoryooley has been under the brutal
rule of the terrorists for five and have helped the Somali years. Since the UN Security government by providing Council boosted AMISOM a secure environment and troop numbers to over recovering more territory, as 22,000, the forces who are well as ensuring law, order working closely with Somali and justice. National Army have been `Further Reading: http:// expanding to new areas www.peaceau.org/en/
PSC requests Quarterly Reports on National Elections The AU PSC has requested
continent. This request was
the Department of Political
made following a briefing
Affairs of the African Union
from Political Affairs and
Commission (AUC) to make
country representatives on
quarterly briefings on national
upcoming national elections
elections in Africa to the PSC
in Guinea Bissau, Algeria,
as part of AU efforts towards
Malawi and South Africa.
conflict prevention on the
The Council encouraged the
article/amisom-and-somalinational-army-captureqoryooley#sthash.nUOK1TBU. dpuf Commission to deploy both long-term and short term
Election observer missions in countries holding elections and to mobilize necessary resources to this end.
` Further reading: http://www.peaceau.org/uploads/424th-
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ECONOMIC AFFAIRS AND LIVELIHOODS
AU WEEKLY
African leaders asked to recommit to CAADP The 10th Comprehensive AfricaAgriculture Development Programme (CAADP) Partnership Platform opened in Durban, South Africa, on March 19 with a call to African Heads of State and government to enhance their ownership and commitment to CAADP. CAADP is the African Union and NEPAD
structure for African countries to accelerate economic growth, eliminate hunger, reduce poverty and enhance food and nutrition security, through agriculture-led development. To date, 50 out of 54 countries in Africa are using the CAADP structure in agricultural planning.
Further reading: http://pages.au.int/ caadpyoa/events/10thcaadppartnershipplatform-meeting
CAADP Awards Africa’s top agricultural journalists Zambia’s Sitembile Siwawa,
conference in Durban, South
farmers, NGOs and civil
Idrissa Konditamdé of Burkina
Africa, on 20th March 2014.
society organizations
Faso, Sengal’s Ibrahima
The media awards were announced at the CAADP
to discuss and develop
Platform Meeting, which
for scaling agricultural
Diallo and Richard Katami Bwayo of Uganda emerged winners of CAADP Media Awards during the 10th Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development (CAADP) Partnership Platform
brought together African
concrete investment plans
and global leaders, African
development Africa.
success
in
governments including
“The media have a significant
ministers, private agribusiness
role to play in telling the
firms, financial institutions,
CAADP story and ensuring
Further reading: http://pages.au.int/sites/default/ files/CAADP_PP_Press_
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UPCOMING EVENTS DATE
EVENT
VENUE
DEPARTMENT
AU Conference of Ministers of Economy and Finance March 24-31
Theme: “Industrialization for Inclusive and Transformative Development in Africa”
CONTACT
Director of Economic Affairs Dr René N’guettia Kouassi Abuja, Nigeria
Economic Affairs
Tel.: (251) 11-551 77 00 Ext 192 Fax : (251) 11-551 78 44 E-mail: deconomic@ africaunion.org
Directorate of Social Affairs
March 28
High-Level Panel Discussion: “Towards Eliminating Child Stunting for Inclusive and Sustainable Development in Africa”
Dr. Olawale I. Maiyegun P.O.Box 3243 The Transcorp Hilton, Abuja, Nigeria
Social Affairs
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia Tel Off: (+251) 115 51 77 00 Ext 300 Director(+251) 115 51 35 22 Email: MaiyegunO@ africaunion.org
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