AU Monitor: Issue 104, 2007

[Hakima Abbas]

Issue 104, 2007 – Weekly Roundup

In this week’s AU Monitor, Lloyd Himaambo brings news of the Zambian  
government’s selection of Dr. Inonge Mbikusita Lewanika, a veteran  
woman politician and diplomat, as its candidate for the position of  
African Union Commission Chairperson. The elections will be held at  
the AU summit in Addis Ababa in January 2008.

In regional news, Arezki Daoud argues that while the economies of the  
Maghreb are improving, regional politics aimed at infusing  
understanding and improving relations have reversed.  Defence  
spending in Algeria and Morocco along with regional and African  
positions and policies from Libya and Algeria are cause for suspicion  
and rivalry.  The author asserts that North African States are  
“channeling their resources in areas that create a false sense of  
splendor and greatness when in fact, critical economic and social  
indicators need major attention”.

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) will receive  
an extra US$24.65 million to support activities in trade, health and  
conflict mitigation from United States Agency for International  
Development (USAID). Additionally, ECOWAS and UNESCO are organising a  
seminar from 24-26 September in Cape Verde on the theme "Nation- 
states and the challenges of regional integration in West Africa".

In trade news, civil society organisations have condemned the  
European Union for abusing the December deadline to put unjustifiable  
pressure on African governments to concede to its terms in the  
ongoing negotiation in the Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) and  
stated that Africa has everything to lose and nothing to gain by  
signing the EPAs.  At a workshop convened in Libya to build union  
leaders’ capacities, African unionists recommended the mainstreaming  
of the decent work concept and the implementation of a practical work  
programme with a view to eradicating poverty and establishing peace  
and social security on the continent.

At the United Nations (UN), Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is  
convening a meeting of the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) Africa  
Steering Group, which was set up after a report in June showed that  
Africa, at its present rate, would fail to achieve any of the MDGs.   
The meeting will focus on three objectives: the international  
system’s support for African governments in implementing practical  
programmes to achieve the MDGs in health, education, infrastructure,  
agriculture and food security; the need to ensure aid predictability  
so that African governments can plan ahead; and enhancing  
collaboration among the Group’s members at the country level.


Abusing EPA Deadline

Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) have condemned the European Union  
(EU) for abusing the December deadline to put unjustifiable pressure  
on African governments to concede to its terms in the ongoing  
negotiation in the Economic Partnership Agreements between the EU and  
African Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries.

Read more:
www.aumonitor.org/comments/379/


Nation States and Regional Integration

(PANA)—UNESCO and the Economic Community of West African States  
(ECOWAS) are organising a seminar for 24-26 September in Praia, Cape  
Verde on the theme “Nation-states and the challenges of regional  
integration in West Africa”.

Read more:
www.aumonitor.org/comments/378/


North Africa’s Worsening Divisions

Arezki Daoud (The North Africa Journal)—When going through the news  
originating from North Africa, day in and day out, it is difficult to  
ignore the stories that emphasize the deepening divisions between the  
region’s nations. Surely the economies of the Maghreb are making  
substantial improvements, but progress in regional politics aimed at  
infusing understanding and improving relations has essentially  
stalled and is instead moving backward.

Read more:
www.aumonitor.org/comments/377/


USAID Sign ECOWAS Development Pact

PANA—The United States Agency for International Development West  
Africa Office (USAID/West Africa) based in Accra, Ghana, has signed  
three agreement amendments with ECOWAS, totalling US$24.65 million,  
to support activities in trade, health and conflict mitigation.

Read more:
www.aumonitor.org/comments/376/


Workshop on African Unionism

PANA (Libya)—A workshop convened here to build and consolidate  
African union leaders’ capacities recommended Tuesday evening the  
implementation of a practical work programme with a view to eradicate  
poverty as well as establish peace and social security on the African  
continent.

Read more:
www.aumonitor.org/comments/375/


Zambian Candidate for AU Commissioner

Lloyd Himaambo (AfricaNews)—The Zambian government has selected Dr.  
Inonge Mbikusita Lewanika, a veteran woman politician and diplomat as  
its candidate for the position of African Union (AU) Commission. The  
elections for the position of the AU Commission chairperson will be  
held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, in January 2008.

Read more:
www.aumonitor.org/comments/374/


MDG Africa Steering Group Meeting

Guido Schmidt-Traub (UN News)—With the whole of sub-Saharan Africa  
currently off track for meeting a single one of the ambitious goals  
the world has set itself for slashing poverty, hunger, disease and  
illiteracy by 2015, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is convening an  
unprecedented meeting of development leaders on Friday to put the  
continent back on the rails to progress.

Read more:
www.aumonitor.org/comments/373/


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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