AU Monitor: Issue 101, 2007

[Hakima Abbas]

Issue 101, 2007 – Weekly Roundup

In this week’s AU Monitor, the African Development Bank’s Vice- 
President, Dr. Mandla Gantsho, discusses the Union Government and the  
potential role of the Bank in providing knowledge and technical  
assistance, while Dr. Issa Shivji reflects on the roots of Pan  
Africanism in the struggle against imperialism and how the current  
resurgence of the unity debate must also be situated in the global  
anti-imperialist framework.  Dr. Shivji highlights the potential  
lessons learnt from experiences in the East African and Great Lakes  
region for broader continental unity.  As regional summits conclude  
in East and Southern Africa, the AU Monitor brings you the final  
communiqué’s from both meetings and an article by Evans Sinjela  
highlighting the prohibitive NGO bills which plague Southern Africa,  
paying particular attention to the currently tabled NGO Bill in  
Zambia, the location of the recent Southern African Development  
Community summit.  Also in official African Union news, a summit of  
women in science and technology will be held in South Africa from 29  
to 31 August aimed at enhancing women’s participation and access to  
the benefits of science and technology.

The AU Monitor also bring you news of Presidents Kadhafi of Libya and  
Sarkozy of France consultations in which preparations for December’s  
Africa-Europe summit were discussed and during which the French  
president expressed support for the United States of Africa.   
Further, President Hugo Chavez of Venezuela will address the African  
Union on September 3rd to discuss continued South-South cooperation  
and the forthcoming Africa-South America summit to be held in  
Venezuela in November 2008.  While in Afro-Asian news, an African- 
Chinese ministerial consultative meeting will take place in New York  
on September 26th presided by Egypt, with, top of the agenda,  
discussion of the progress towards implementation of the Beijing Plan  
of Action and preparation for the 2009 Afro-Chinese meeting.  Lastly,  
Tim Murithi of the Institute for Security Studies writes of the Panel  
of the Wise, an organ of the African Union made up of eminent  
Africans to support and advise the Peace and Security Council. The  
author provides several recommendations to increase the potential  
effectiveness of the Panel, not least the immediate discussion of the  
operational modalities of the Panel by the AU Peace and Security  
Council.


EAC Summit Communique

The 6th Extraordinary Summit of the East African Community Heads of  
State was held in a warm and cordial atmosphere at the Ngurdoto  
Mountain Lodge in Arusha, Tanzania on 20th august 2007.

Read more:
www.aumonitor.org/comments/350/


SADC Summit Communique

The Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Southern African  
development Community (SADC) was held in Lusaka, Republic of Zambia  
from August 16 to 17, 2007.

Read more:
www.aumonitor.org/comments/349/


Panel of the Wise

Tim Murithi (Institute for Security Studies)—From the outset the  
architects of the African Union (AU) recognised that the institution  
had to establish a framework for promoting peace and security that  
was qualitatively different from that of its predecessor, the  
Organisation of African Unity (OAU).

Read more:
www.aumonitor.org/comments/347/

Kadhafi and Sarkozy Talk

PANA—Libyan leader Moammar Kadhafi and French President Nicolas  
Sarkozy held a telephone conversation Tuesday evening as part of  
permanent consultations between both countries on issues of common  
interest, Libyan official sources disclosed here Wednesday.

Read more:
www.aumonitor.org/comments/346/


Chavez to visit AU

Xinhua—Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez will visit the Addis Ababa- 
based African Union (AU) headquarters on Sept. 3, according to a  
press release from the pan- African body on Thursday.

Read more:
www.aumonitor.org/comments/345/


Egypt Heads Afro-Chinese Consultations

Mahiteb Mekkawi, (AfricaNews)—Egypt will preside the first Afro- 
Chinese Ministerial Consultative Meeting set to take place in New  
York City on September 26th 2007.

Read more:
www.aumonitor.org/comments/344/


NGO Bills in SADC

Evans Sinjela, (AfricaNews)—Government regulation of civil society in  
the southern African development community region has become a  
topical issue in Zambia. The subject of regulating non governmental  
organisations has not spared the Zambian community.

Read more:
www.aumonitor.org/comments/343/


Bank Role in United Africa

The following interview presents an African Development Bank’s view  
on the development impact of a Unitary Government in Africa. The Vice  
President in charge of Infrastructure, Water and Sanitation, Private  
Sector development, and regional integration and trade, Dr. Mandla  
S.V. GANTSHO who has just completed his first year in this position,  
discusses the idea of the Unitary Government for Africa and what he  
anticipates for the Bank in its regional integration activities as  
the Unitary Government idea gains momentum and eventually materializes.

Read more:
www.aumonitor.org/comments/342/


Proponents of Unity Must Tackle Imperialism

Issa Shivji (Business Day)—The current pan-Africa debate presents an  
opportune moment for the continent to confront some of the key  
challenges facing it, among which is imperialism. African nationalism  
was born in the struggle against imperialism.

Read more:
www.aumonitor.org/comments/340/


Women to Discuss Science, Tech

Thapelo Sakoana (BuaNews)—The African Union (AU) is to host a  
conference for leading female scientists to discuss their role in  
science and technology for Africa’s development.

Read more:
www.aumonitor.org/comments/339/


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Hakima Abbas
Policy Analyst, AU-Monitor
Fahamu - Networks for Social Justice
Email: hakima at fahamu.org
Skype: hakima_abbas
www.aumonitor.org
www.fahamu.org

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