AU Monitor: Issue 113, 2007

Wed Nov 21 12:46:09 GMT 2007

*Issue 113, 2007-Weekly Roundup*

This week's AU Monitor brings you updates from the African Union. The
final candidates
for Chairpersonship in the AU
Commission<http://www.pambazuka.org/aumonitor/comments/497/>were
recently announced for the January elections. Further, the
Federation of African Journalists called on the
AU<http://www.pambazuka.org/aumonitor/comments/499/>to take action to
protect the media rights of journalists and advocate for
better working conditions. The AU Special Envoy to
Darfur<http://www.pambazuka.org/aumonitor/comments/492/>,
Salim Ahmed Salim, urges all parties involved to participate in peace talks
and encouraged rebel movements to form a coalition in order to strengthen
their position. Salim also acknowledges the "quantitative improvements" made
by African countries to deal with their conflicts. Also, at the recent AU
Rail Conference <http://www.pambazuka.org/aumonitor/comments/502/>, African
Ministers of Transport discussed strategies of how to build an effective and
efficient railroad system to enhance development initiatives on the
continent. AU Chairperson Alpha Konare condemns the French NGO "Arche de
Zoe" <http://www.pambazuka.org/aumonitor/comments/488/> for its attempt to
illegally move 103 children from Chad to France to be placed in foster care.
Lastly, Konare also discusses the European Union's (EU) willingness to enter
into an "equitable and equal" partnership with the continent, which will be
reflected in the EU's delegation choices for the upcoming EU-Africa
summit.<http://www.pambazuka.org/aumonitor/comments/498/>

In Pan-African news, African countries have agreed on a continent-wide forum
to harmonize the work of
researchers<http://www.pambazuka.org/aumonitor/comments/500/>in order
to enhance development efforts.
Further, participants of the African Diaspora Ministerial
Conference<http://www.pambazuka.org/aumonitor/comments/489/>will
produce a declaration to ensure sustainable partnerships between the
African Diaspora and Africa.  Also, ACORD calls for AIDS service
organizations <http://www.pambazuka.org/aumonitor/comments/495/> in Africa
to combine service delivery with advocacy in order to empower people living
with HIV (PLHIV). Lastly, the Nigerian National Council of State rejects the
opposed United States Africa Command
(AFRICOM)<http://www.pambazuka.org/aumonitor/comments/503/>base in its
country and the West African region, pushing instead for an
"African Standby Force" for the continent.

In economic news, the president of the African Development Bank (AfDB)
Donald Kaberuka concluded that analysis of African economic
conditions<http://www.pambazuka.org/aumonitor/comments/494/>should
come from within Africa, not from external institutions. Further,
Ministers from the East African Communities
(EAC)<http://www.pambazuka.org/aumonitor/comments/501/>are not clear
about the EU's "development" frameworks for the economic
partnership agreements (EPA's). The EAC is trying to gain clarity on the
benefits they will receive from such projects. Also, Kenyan lobbying groups
have filed a suit to halt the signing of the
EPA's<http://www.pambazuka.org/aumonitor/comments/496/>for what they
see as a contravention to fundamental rights and freedoms in
Kenya's constitution. The Africa, Caribbean, and Pacific (ACP) countries won
a trade battle with the EU<http://www.pambazuka.org/aumonitor/comments/491/>,
granting one more year before a new agreement on EPA's can be decided upon.
Lastly, China's relationship to
Africa<http://www.pambazuka.org/aumonitor/comments/490/>is analyzed,
as it continues its "non interference" stance and attempts to
work with businesses and governments.

The African Monitor <http://www.pambazuka.org/aumonitor/comments/493/>, an
independent African body working to monitor development commitments and
bring African voices to the development agenda, announces the launch of new
monitoring tools as well as three new pieces of work.

**
**
*Nigeria** Says No to Africom*

* *

PANA—Nigeria's apex presidential advisory body, the National Council of
State, has said it is opposed to the establishment in Nigeria or the West
African sub-region of a base of the US African Command (AFRICOM).

*Read more: www.aumonitor.org/comments/503*

**
*Integrating African Railways*

Luyanda Makapela (BuaNews)-Africa must take its rightful place in the
international trade sector by investing on integrated rail systems which
will boost socio-economic development on the continent.

* *

*Read more: www.aumonitor.org/comments/502*

**
*Mixed Reactions to EPAs*

Aileen Kwa (IPS)-The news that the ministers of the East African Community
(Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda and Burundi) are on the verge of signing an
economic partnership agreement with the European Union (EU) has been
received with mixed reactions by government officials from these very same
countries.

*Read more: www.aumonitor.org/comments/501*

* *

* *

*Continental Forum to Harmonize Research*

* *

Innocent Gahigana (The New Times)-African countries have zeroed in on a
continental joint forum to harmonise the work of their researchers and
policymakers. The 2nd Africa Economic Conference (AEC) that ended last week
in Addis-Ababa, Ethiopia echoed the need for such forum to overcome the
continent's development challenges.**

* *

*Read more: www.aumonitor.org/comments/500*

* *

* *

* **African Journalists Call on AU, UN*
* *
**(Press Release)- Journalists from all corners of Africa yesterday launched
a new continental federation to provide a unified voice for newsroom staff
campaigning for better working conditions and professional rights.
**
*Read more: www.aumonitor.org/comments/499*

* *

* *

*Konare on EU-Africa Summit*

* *

John Kaninda (Business Day)- AFRICAN Union (AU) commission chairman Alpha
Oumar Konare said that the upcoming European Union (EU)-Africa summit would
be a measure of the bloc's willingness to enter an "equitable and equal"
partnership with the continent, regardless of Zimbabwean President Robert
Mugabe.

*Read more: www.aumonitor.org/comments/498*

* *

* *

*Candidates for AU Commission*

* *

The African Union has announced the final candidates for Chairpersonship of
the African Union Commission in preparation for the elections due to be held
at the January summit of the AU in Addis Ababa.  Also included are the
candidates for election to the positions of Deputy Chairperson and
Commissioners.

*Read more: www.aumonitor.org/comments/497*

* *

* *

* *

*Court Bid to Halt EPAs*

* *

Rosalia Omungo (IPS)—An unexpected challenge has been directed at the
economic partnership agreement (EPA) being negotiated between the European
Union and the east and southern African group. Two lobby groups have filed a
law suit in Kenya to halt the signing of the EPA.

*Read more: www.aumonitor.org/comments/496*

* *

**
*Service Delivery with Advocacy*

* *

ACORD has called on AIDS service organisations on the continent to blend
service delivery with advocacy to assure sustainability of their AIDS
interventions in Africa.

* *

*Read more: www.aumonitor.org/comments/495*

* *

* *

*Economic Analysis of Africa, by Africans*

* *

The international community will understand Africa's voice on economics far
better, if the content is professional, research-based, and supported by
data and scientific evidence.

*Read more: www.aumonitor.org/comments/494*

* *

*African Monitor Launches New Work*

* *

(Press Release)- The African Monitor Launches its Initial Monitoring Tools
and three new pieces of work. African Monitor's primary agenda is to ensure
that the needs of the grassroots are a top priority for decision makers in
Africa and the donor community.  The effectiveness of all development
interventions and resources must be judged according to the extent to which
they reach the grassroots, and change the lives of the grassroots for the
better.

* *

*Read more: www.aumonitor.org/comments/493*

* *

*AU Special Envoy to Darfur*

(PANA)-African Union (AU) Special Envoy to Darfur, Salim Ahmed Salim, has
urged all parties to the Darfur crisis to come on board for peace talks to
succeed, saying there is also need for a greater coalition of rebel
movements so they can present a strong position to the Sudanese government.

*Read more: www.aumonitor.org/comments/492*

* *

*EPA Victory for Africa*

* *

Judith Akolo (BuaNews)-The Africa, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries
have won a major trade battle against the European Union with a deal that
was brokered to push the stalled negotiations on the renewal of the Economic
Partnership Agreement (EPA) to December 2008.

*Read more: www.aumonitor.org/comments/491*

* *

*
China: Africa's Major Development Partner?*

* *

Francois Bard (Business Day)-AFRICA's increasing importance to China and
other countries in the developing world raises the question of whether Asia
may supplant Europe, the traditional powerhouse in Africa, to become
Africa's major trading and development partner.**

* *

*Read more: www.aumonitor.org/comments/490*

* *

* *

*African Diaspora Ministerial Conference*

* *

(BuaNews)-President Thabo Mbeki will on Friday address Africans from both
the African continent and abroad, at the three-day African Diaspora
Ministerial Conference to be held in Midrand. The conference will be opened
by South African Foreign Affairs Minister Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma and
Chairperson of the Africa Union Professor Alpha Konare. **

* *

*Read more: www.aumonitor.org/comments/489*

* *

* *

*AU Chairperson Condemns French NGO*

* *

(Press Release)-The Chairperson of the African Union Commission continues to
monitor with very special attention, the case of the Chadian children at the
heart of the judicial inquiry against the French NGO "Arche de Zoe".  The
Chairperson of the Commission had, at that time, last 27 October, condemned
the unjustifiable, scandalous behaviour of that Association, and hailed the
firm stands taken by the Chadian and French governments on this affair.

*Read more: www.aumonitor.org/comments/488*

* *

* *

-- 
Selome Araya
Consultant Project Coordinator
AU- Monitor
aumonitor.editor at gmail.com

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