AU Monitor: Issue 102, 2007

[Hakima Abbas]

Issue 102, 2007 – Weekly Roundup

In this week's AU Monitor, we bring you news and documentation for  
forthcoming AU meetings on children, industry and of the Economic,  
Social and Cultural Council.  In addition, the AU Monitor features  
interviews from the African Development Bank (AfDB) with resource  
mobilization lead expert, Boubacar Traoré, who sheds light on the  
Multilateral Development Banks’ meeting on debt-related issues held  
at the World Bank and with Ms Motselisi Lebesa, Principal Public  
Utilities Economist at NEPAD’s Regional Integration and Trade  
Department, who talks of Africa's infrastructure deficit and the  
approaches developed by NEPAD and AfDB in two recent studies.  Also  
at the African Union, the President of the African Union, Ghana’s  
Head of State, John Kufuor, has appointed Cameroonian Vice President  
of Transparency International, Barrister Akere Tabeng Muna, as a  
member of the African Union Audit Commission, in conformity with the  
Accra Declaration in which Heads of States and Government agreed  
that, in order to attain the Union Government, "an Audit of the  
Executive Council in terms of Article 10 of the Constitutive Act, the  
Commission as well as the other organs of the African Union" be  
conducted prior to the January summit of the African Union in Addis  
Ababa.

In Asian-African news, the AU Monitor brings you an important article  
by Mills Soko on African and Indian economic ties, enunciating the  
potential for lessons and skills sharing, Dr. Soko states: "Africa  
has become the emerging market for Indian products and enterprises  
and an alternative source of energy for India, while African exports,  
including natural resources, agricultural goods and household  
consumer items, have grown exponentially."  Further, in Sino-African  
relations, the African Union announced this week the donation of  
$300,000 by the Chinese government for peacekeepers in Somalia.  Also  
in peace and security news, the AU Mission in the Sudan has condemned  
an attack by the Justice and Equality Movement and the Unity faction  
of the Sudan Liberation Army (SLA-Unity) on a Sudanese army base in  
Kordofan while the United Nations Secretary General also condemned  
the government bombings on Southern Darfur on Tuesday.

In regional news, President of the ECOWAS Commission, Dr Mohamed Ibn  
Chambas, urged the European Union to show understanding and  
flexibility in the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) negotiations,  
while, in a communiqué of the SADC Civil Society forum on “Ensuring  
Effective Civic Participation in Development and Democratic  
Governance”, Southern African civil society call upon heads of states  
and government to institutionalize and operationalize the  
participation of civil society in decision making at the national and  
regional levels; take concrete and urgent action related to the  
violations of human rights in Zimbabwe and Lesotho; and to enter  
trade negotiations, particularly with the EU, as a united bloc for  
the benefit of the region.


AU Condemns Kordofan Attack

Daily Monitor—The African Union Mission in the Sudan (AMIS) condemned  
on Friday a rebel attack on Sudanese army base at Wad Banda,  
Kordofan, on Wednesday 29 August 2007.

Read more:
www.aumonitor.org/comments/359/


Africa and India

Mills Soko (Business Day)—Africa and India together make up half of  
the world’s humanity. More notable than the numbers, however, is  
their emerging synergy, both bilateral and global. India’s position  
as a major world player and potential partner is being acknowledged  
by Africa, while Africa’s increasing market strength has been noted  
by India, contributing an exciting element to south-south co-operation.

Read more:
www.aumonitor.org/comments/358/


SADC Civil Society Communique

We the Civil Society Organizations, meeting at the SADC Civil Society  
forum in Lusaka, Zambia from 14th to 16th August 2007, during the  
SADC Heads of State or Government Summit in Lusaka, Zambia:

Read more:
www.aumonitor.org/comments/357/


ECOWAS Urges Flexibility on EPAs

The President of the ECOWAS Commission, Dr Mohamed Ibn Chambas on  
Thursday, 30th August, urged the European Union to be mindful of the  
development dimension and show “understanding and demonstrate greater  
flexibility” in its approach to the ongoing process for the  
negotiation of an Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) of the two  
regions.

Read more:
www.aumonitor.org/comments/356/


Studies on Infrastructure Deficit

We all know that Africa needs new and improved infrastructure. But  
assessing exactly where are the gaps, which gaps should be plugged  
first and what strategies can ensure efficient use of resources is a  
much trickier task.  This is the subject of the interview with Ms  
Motselisi Lebesa, Principal Public Utilities Economist at NEPAD’s  
Regional Integration and Trade Department.

Read more:
www.aumonitor.org/comments/355/


Interview on Debt Related Meeting

Resource mobilization lead expert, Boubacar Traoré, sheds light on  
the Multilateral Development Banks’ meeting on debt-related issues  
held at the World Bank’s Headquarters in Washington DC.

Read more:
www.aumonitor.org/comments/354/


AU Audit Commission Member Appointed

Elvis Tah (The Post)—The President of the African Union, AU and  
Ghana’s Head of State, John Kufuor, has appointed Cameroonian born  
Vice President of Transparency International, Barrister Akere Tabeng  
Muna, member of the African Union Audit Commission.

Read more:
www.aumonitor.org/comments/353/


China Donation for AU Troops

China on Monday donated $300,000 to assist the African Union in  
deploying peacekeepers in Somalia.

Read more:
www.aumonitor.org/comments/352/


Forthcoming African Union Meetings

The third interim standing committee meeting of the Economic, Social  
and Cultural Council of the African Union is being held in Yaounde,  
Cameroon from September 3-4, 2007.  While, the AU conference of  
ministers of industry will hold its first extraordinary session in  
Midrand, South Africa, from September 24- 27, 2007.  The draft agenda  
includes discussion of the challenge of energy security and  
production diversification in Africa.  The Second Pan African Forum  
on the Africa Common Position for Children will be held in Cairo,  
Egypt from October 9 until November 2, 2007.  Both agendas are  
available for download at www.aumonitor.org.



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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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