ADDIS ABABA, Oct. 11 (Xinhua) -- The African Union (AU) on Tuesday inaugurated a newly constructed peace and security building on the premises of the pan-African bloc in Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn, and African Union Commission Chairperson Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, cut the ribbon to inaugurate the building named the Julius Nyerere Peace and Security Building.
The new building hosts the AU Peace and Security Department, and provides a base for the operation of the continental early warning system and the coordination of peacekeeping missions, according to the AU.
Speaking at the inaugural ceremony, Merkel and Dlamini-Zuma hailed the building's role in creating conducive environment for working on reconciliation, peace and security on the African continent.
The project depicts the close cooperation that exists between the AU and Germany and goes a long way in enhancing AU's capacity to meet the challenges of peace and security on the continent, said the pan-African bloc.
Germany financed the construction of the building amounting to 27 million euros.
