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| AU summit opens focusing on peace, security |
| | www.chinaview.cn 2004-07-06 14:45:17 |
ADDIS ABABA, July 6 (Xinhuanet) -- African leaders began their three-day session of the African Union's (AU) annual summit in Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa on Tuesday, with security issues topping the agenda.
Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo was elected chairperson of the AU, taking over the chair from Mozambican President Joaquim Chissano at the opening of the third AU summit.
An ambitious plan for Africa's development and regional integration was proposed by the AU for adoption at the summit. Leaders who spoke at the summit stressed important notions of the plan such as security and good governance.
United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan said in his remarks in the opening session that he is concerned about the "horrific" situation in western Sudan's Darfur, where over 10,000 died and one million displaced since conflict broke out in February 2003.
"The vision you are working so hard to achieve is imperiled by the persistence of deadly conflict. I am thinking of the horrific situation in Darfur," said a grim looking Annan, who visited Darfur last week.
Annan called for immediate action to be taken on the Darfur crisis, warning that the situation may further deteriorate into something that can destabilize the continent.
"The ruined villages, the camps overflowing with sick and hungry women and children, the fear in the eyes of the people, should be a clear warning to us all, without action, the
brutalities already inflicted on the civilian population of Darfur could be a prelude to even greater humanitarian catastrophe, a catastrophe that could destabilize the region," Annan said.
Peace and security are listed as the top priority among the problems that African countries need to address, and the Darfur crisis is at center stage.
Analysts say this year's AU summit would be litmus for Africa's determination to put an end to all conflicts on the continent. The regional bloc has decided on the deployment of 300 "protection force" to the Darfur to restore confidence in the region for the displaced to go home.
Other than security, the importance of good governance was also stressed by the leaders who participated in the session.
Joaquim Chissano, outgoing chairman of the African Union, and Annan both mentioned the Peer Review Mechanism, which symbolizes the continent's commitment to "good economic, political and corporate governance."
The Peer Review Mechanism is one embodiment of the New Partnership for Africa's Development, Africa's home-grown development plan's stress on good governance, whereby African leaders keep a close eye on their counterparts.
It is described by Annan as a "unique African approach to the challenges of African governance," which is riddled by rampant corruption, dictatorship and military rule in some countries in the continent. Enditem |
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