AU Monitor: Issue 125, 2008

Wed Feb 20 22:55:22 GMT 2008

*Weekly Roundup-Issue 125, 2008*

The AU Monitor's Monthly Discussion Paper
Series<http://www.pambazuka.org/aumonitor/AUMONITOR/comments/1036/>presents
its current paper, based on the "Open
Letter to Africa's Present and Future Leaders" written by the 2007
Archbishop Desmond Tutu Fellows. Among other recommendations, the letter
urges "the establishment of a high-level African Union led campaign to fight
tribalism and inequality in all its forms across the continent."  Forum
members are encouraged to contribute to the discussion and answer the
proposed questions.

This week's AU Monitor brings you news from the African Union, where only
half of its member states have ratified the Protocol establishing the African
Human Rights Court<http://www.pambazuka.org/aumonitor/AUMONITOR/comments/1032/>.
The Court's President Gerard Niungeko urges the remaining African states to
ratify the protocol to enable "individuals and non-governmental
organizations to approach the Court with their cases".

The second ordinary session of the AU Conference of ministers in charge of
Youth (COMY) has called on the private sector to implement youth
activities<http://www.pambazuka.org/aumonitor/comments/1005/>at
national and sub-national levels in order for youth to play a
significant
role in the development of the continent. It was concluded that "Africa's
victory against poverty, violence, insecurity and bad governance lies in the
continent's capacity to empower the youth so that they could take control
and develop its resources".

In other AU news, the AU Commission and the Japan International Cooperation
Agency (JICA) <http://www.pambazuka.org/aumonitor/AUMONITOR/comments/1024/>will
meet this week to exchange views on recent African developments, human
security concerns and discuss ways of enhancing economic growth on the
continent.

Mozambique, considered one of the strongest economic performers in
Sub-Saharan Africa, will host the 43rd Annual Meetings of the African
Development Bank <http://www.pambazuka.org/aumonitor/comments/1002/> (AfDB)
in May 2008. The meeting will bring together 1500 participants and is being
held on the theme: *"Fostering Shared Growth: Urbanization, Inequality and
Poverty"**. *

In U.S.-Africa news, Ambassador Cindy Courville, the first full-time U.S.
envoy to the African Union
(AU)<http://www.pambazuka.org/aumonitor/comments/1006/>
, speaks of a growing U.S.-Africa relationship and highlights the monetary
assistance the U.S. has provided for the continent.

While Abid Aslam reports on the recent visit of U.S. President George Bush
to Africa <http://www.pambazuka.org/aumonitor/AUMONITOR/comments/1007/> as
being a way to "polish his image and advance U.S. interests",  highlighting
both positive and negative U.S. initiatives in Africa,  Horace Campbell
outlines the motives behind Bush's visit as an attempt to coerce African
countries to sign on to the proposed U.S. Africa Command
(Africom)<http://www.pambazuka.org/aumonitor/AUMONITOR/comments/1008/>.
Campbell calls for activists to "oppose the plans for the remilitarization
of Africa under the guise of fighting terrorism in Africa".

In regional news, the East African Community (EAC) Secretary General
Ambassador Juma Mwapuchu has stated that the Kenyan situation has affected
regional integration
processes<http://www.pambazuka.org/aumonitor/AUMONITOR/comments/1009/>and
has had ramifications on the entire EAC region. Ambassador Mwapuchu
pledges that his organization will play a central role in resolving the
political situation in Kenya.

Also regarding the situation in Kenya, a coalition of Kenyan human rights
organizations <http://www.pambazuka.org/aumonitor/AUMONITOR/comments/1025/>
have
presented a Memorandum to the African Commission on Human and People's
Rights (ACHPR), addressing concerns and recommendations to restore peace in
Kenya following the contested presidential ballot of December 2007.

In environmental news, the Community of Sahel-Saharan States (CEN-SAD)
recently held a conference on their "great greenbelt
initiative"<http://www.pambazuka.org/aumonitor/AUMONITOR/comments/1003/>,
a 15 km wide greenbelt containing wildlife that can serve the region's
economic interests as well as the development of a network of inland basins
and other social infrastructure. Further, Peter Bosshard of International
Rivers analyzes the potential downside to China's State Environmental
Protection Agency's
(SEPA<http://www.pambazuka.org/aumonitor/AUMONITOR/comments/1004/>
) Equator Principles, highlighting that it could serve as a risk to regions
with weaker environmental standards, such as Africa.

Finally, a recent reception of the African Capacity Building Foundation
(ACBF) <http://www.pambazuka.org/aumonitor/AUMONITOR/comments/1035/> called
for countries to intensify capacity building efforts by mobilizing existing
resources, in order to increase development of the continent and end
dependency on Western countries.

*AU Monitor Monthly Discussion*

This month's discussion <http://www.pambazuka.org/forums/viewthread/14/> is
based on the "Open Letter to Africa's Present and Future Leaders" written by
the 2007 Archbishop Desmond Tutu Fellows. Among other recommendations, the
letter urges "the establishment of a high-level African Union led campaign
to fight tribalism and inequality in all its forms across the continent."

*Read more:* www.aumonitor.org/comments/1036

*African** Capacity Building** Foundation*

(The Herald) - The African Capacity Building Foundation should intensify
capacity building programmes in Africa to spur development in the continent
as well as fight dependency on Western countries.

*Read more:* www.aumonitor.org/comments/1035

*African Human Rights Court*

(Hirondelle) - Only about half of the member states of the African Union
(AU) have ratified the Protocol establishing the African Human Rights Court
whose seat is in Arusha, according to the Court's President, Professor
Gerard Niungeko.

*Read more:* www.aumonitor.org/comments/1032

*CSO Submission to ACHPR on Kenya *

Considering the examination by the African Commission on Human and Peoples'
Rights of the human rights situation in Kenya at the occasion of its 4th
extraodinary session which will be held in The Gambia form 17 January 2008,
the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), its member
organisation, the Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC) and the Kenyans for
Peace, Truth and Justice (KPTJ) - a coalition of Kenyan human rights
organisations, have the honour to present you, here attached, a Memorandum
on the violence and human rights violations that were committed after the
contested presidential ballot of 27 December 2007.

*Read more:* www.aumonitor.org/comments/1025

*AU and Japan Discuss Development in Africa*

Press Release - The Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Professor
Alpha Oumar Konare, will on Wednesday 20 February 2008, at 15:00 pm. receive
in audience Ms. Sadako Ogata, President of the Japan International
Cooperation Agency (JICA) to discuss and exchange views on recent African
developments and human security in a bid to enhance economic growth on the
continent.

*Read more:* www.aumonitor.org/comments/1024

*Towards Stronger Governance*

(BuaNews) - The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has allocated an
amount of $2 million for a programme aimed at supporting African countries
to strengthen and deepen African Public Sector and Governance Reforms.

*Read more:* www.aumonitor.org/comments/1023

*EAC Involvement in Kenya*

* *

Press Release—The Secretary General of the East African Community,
Ambassador Juma Mwapachu has said the EAC is set to play a central role in
the resolution of the Kenyan political impasse.

*Read more: *www.aumonitor.org/comments/1009

* *

*Bush's Visit: Promoting Africom*

* *

Horace Campbell (Pambazuka) - One year after the announcement that the
United States government was going to accelerate the militarization of
Africa, President George Bush is embarking on a journey to Africa to coerce
African societies to align themselves with the neo-conservative agenda of
the present US administration. President George Bush will visit five African
countries between February 15 -21. The countries are Benin, Ghana, Liberia,
Rwanda and Tanzania. George Bush is a lame-duck President who cannot visit
real global players so this visit to Africa is an effort to shore up the
credentials of the neo-liberal forces in Africa while promoting the
conservative ideas of abstinence as the basis of the fight against the HIV
-AIDS pandemic.

*Read more:* www.aumonitor.org/comments/1008

* *

*Furthering U.S. Interests in Africa*

Abid Aslam (IPS) - In an attempt to polish his image and advance U.S.
interests in the twilight of his presidency, George W. Bush is visiting
Africa.

*Read more: *www.aumonitor.org/comments/1007

*US Envoy to the AU*

(America.gov)—A senior diplomat says her appointment as the first full-time
U.S. envoy to the African Union (AU) highlights a growing
U.S.-Africapartnership aimed at pursuing political stability and
economic prosperity on
a strategic continent.

*Read more:* www.aumonitor.org/comments/1006

*
Private Sector Support Youth*

(PANA) - A ministerial conference of the African Union (AU ), held here
Friday, has called on the private and business sectors to support the devel
opment of youth in the continent.

*Read more:* www.aumonitor.org/comments/1005

*A Risk for Africa?*

Peter Bosshard (International Rivers)—We can report good news from China,
and need to watch out for a potential downside. On January 24, China's State
Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA) introduced the Equator Principles -
the environmental guidelines of leading private banks - into its green
credit policy. The green credit policy was established in August 2007 as an
incentive for companies to comply with environmental laws and pollution
standards. In November, SEPA showed that the policy has teeth by withholding
loans for twelve companies that violated environmental rules.

*Read more:* www.aumonitor.org/comments/1004

*Africa's Green Belt*

Press Release—The [African Development] Bank Group participated in a two-day
meeting of experts and the ministerial conference on the great greenbelt and
the inland basin project, which took place from February 12-13, 2008, in
Saly Portudal, Senegal. The great greenbelt is an initiative of the
Community of Sahel-Saharan States (CEN-SAD) that has been endorsed by the
African Union and it is part of NEPAD's environment action plan. The
initiative is a 15 Km wide greenbelt stretching from Dakar to Djibouti and
it contains wildlife that has been chosen for its ability to adapt to
draught and can serve the region's economic interest. Besides its wildlife
units that are capable of developing production systems, the initiative also
includes a network of inland basins and other basic social infrastructure.

*Read more:* www.aumonitor.org/comments/1003

* *

*Mozambique** to Host AfDB Meetings*

* *

Press Release—The Mozambican government is strongly committed to hosting the
2008 Annual Meetings of the African Development Bank (AfDB) Group scheduled
to take place in Maputo from 14 to 15 May 2008, says Mozambique's Planning
and Development Minister and AfDB Governor for the country, Aiuba Cuereneia.

*Read more: *www.aumonitor.org/comments/1002

* *

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

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