The 24th Heads of State and governments Summit of the African Union opens on January 30, 2015.
Heads of State and governments of the African Union (AU) will during their 24th Summit that opens today, Friday, January 30, 2015 at the Ethiopian capital, Addis Abeba define strategies to tackle burning issues in the African continent such as the ever-increasing Boko Haram attacks, the turbulent situations in Libya, Mali and assess the path so far covered in realizing the dream of Agenda 2063 in advancing the continent’s development and integration.
The African leaders will endorse the proposals prepared by Foreign Affairs Ministers and experts who started meeting on January 26, 2015 to lay the ground work of a successful Summit. During the opening session of the council of ministers, Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, the Chairperson of the African Union Commission talking particularly about the fight against Boko Haram, declared that, “We must act now, and act collectively against this progressing threat. We must work diligently towards silencing the guns by the year 2020, and nip in the bud this threat to African prosperity, peace and human security,” BBC quoted.
After citing the atrocities committed by Boko Haram militants, she said, “We should all declare this state of affairs as unacceptable!” and added that, “It is a global threat that must be met globally but with Africa in the lead.” At moment, some of the rebel factions and government representatives in the Libyan conflict are meeting in Geneva, Switzerland in order to find lasting solutions to the conflict. RFI reported that the Libyan crisis was one of the key issues handled by an ad hoc committee ahead of today’s AU Summit. African leaders will therefore clearly define ways of supporting the ongoing Libyan peace talks that come after belligerents declared a ceasefire and expressed readiness to negotiate.
Besides Libyan crisis, the conflict in north Mali with new developments being the killings and abductions of even UN peacekeepers is said to be discussed by the AU leaders. RFI said relations between Africa, its leaders and the International Criminal Court (ICC) will be discussed. Reports say Foreign Affairs Minister prepared a resolution the continent’s leaders will consider. The Ministers in the draft resolution argue that a court to try Africans involved in crimes against humanity already exists in Arusha, Tanzania.
