AU Monitor: Issue 122, 2008

[Selome Araya]

*Issue 122, 2008- Weekly Roundup* This week's AU Monitor brings you updates
and analyses from the 10th Ordinary Session of the African Union,
where President
John Agyekum Kufuor ends his
term<http://www.pambazuka.org/aumonitor/AUMONITOR/comments/860/>as
Chairman of the African Union this week. President Kufuor is
acknowledged
for his many accomplishments and the progress that the AU has made during
his tenure.  Lybian leader Mouammar Kaddafi is hosting a five-nation mini
summit <http://www.pambazuka.org/aumonitor/comments/852/> for African
leaders ahead of the upcoming AU Summit. Also in preparation for the Summit,
the Permanent Representatives Committee (PRC) of the
AU<http://www.pambazuka.org/aumonitor/AUMONITOR/comments/853/>member
states opened its session, where participants will focus on important
issues, including budgetary issues, contributions from member states and the
problem of staff hiring for the Commission.  In other AU news, Sholain
Govender provides in-depth reflections on the past, present, and future of
the African Union <http://www.pambazuka.org/aumonitor/comments/883/>.
Also, Ousseynou
Guèye reports on the audit of the African
Union<http://www.pambazuka.org/aumonitor/AUMONITOR/comments/859/>,
noting that it reveals serious inadequacies of the organization that prevent
it from reaching its goals. Lastly, Chairperson of the African Union
Commission (AUC), Professor Alpha Oumar Konare urged AU Foreign
Ministers<http://www.pambazuka.org/aumonitor/AUMONITOR/comments/882/>to
insure implementation of principles adopted by Member States,
including
democracy, good governance, and gender equality. Chairperson Konare also
showed concern about non-indifference, insisting that member countries
assist one another during times of crises. In peace and security news, the
capability of the joint UN-African Union Peacekeeping mission in
Darfur (UNAMID)
has been thrown into
question<http://www.pambazuka.org/aumonitor/AUMONITOR/comments/851/>,
following an attack earlier this month. Currently the mission is vulnerable
to such attacks due to lack of proper equipment, particularly helicopters.
Further, during a recent meeting of the AU Executive Council, Senegal
expressed concern<http://www.pambazuka.org/aumonitor/AUMONITOR/comments/881/>that
the crises in Kenya was not on the agenda and asked the council to
"breaks its silence on the issue". In women's news, Solidarity for African
Women's Rights (SOAWR)<http://www.pambazuka.org/aumonitor/AUMONITOR/comments/857/>held
its Review and Agenda Setting Meeting recently under the theme:
"Building an Accountable African Union: Perspectives of the African Women's
Movement". Also, the AU has commissioned a new report to study the role of
female child soldiers in
conflicts<http://www.pambazuka.org/aumonitor/comments/836/>in Africa.
Litha Musyimi-Ogana, Director of AU's Gender Development
Directorate stated that "We need an African solution to the crisis and women
have proved to be the best in post-conflict reconstruction and
reconciliation". Lastly, Ethiopian lawyer Meaza Ashenafi says that African
governments have failed to domesticate gender equality laws into national
policies and notes that "Irregularities in adapting and implementing various
laws and agreements regarding women's rights and gender equality in Africa
is a threat to the proposed union government of Africa." Finally, Hiruy
Amanuel analyses the phrase "ethnic
politics",<http://www.pambazuka.org/aumonitor/comments/850/> stating
that appealing to ethnicity is sub-national, narrow and even dangerous", and
can inhibit attempts at Pan-African unity.   The AU: Past, Present,
Future<http://www.pambazuka.org/aumonitor/comments/883/> (BuaNews)
- As time draws closer for the 10th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the
African Union, the past, present and future of the organisation comes under
the spotlight, writes Sholain Govender.
*Read more:* www.aumonitor.org/comments/883


*"Respect the Principles of
Democracy"*<http://www.pambazuka.org/aumonitor/comments/882/>
(Press Release) - The Chairperson of the African Union Commission (AUC),
Professor Alpha Oumar Konare, called on the African Union Foreign Ministers
to insure the implementation and respect of good governance, democracy,
non-indifference, gender equality amongst other things which he said are
principles adopted by the AU Member States themselves.
*Read more:** *www.aumonitor.org/comments/882

 Senegal Seeks Strong AU Declaration on
Kenya<http://www.pambazuka.org/aumonitor/comments/881/>
**

(PANA) - Senegal raised the issue of the post-election crisis in Kenya
during the meeting of the African Union (AU) Executive Council here, asking
the council to break its silence on the issue, an official source told PANA
here Wednesday.

*Read more:* www.aumonitor.org/comments/881

Kufuor Hands Over AU
Leadership<http://www.pambazuka.org/aumonitor/comments/860/> (Public
Agenda) - President John Agyekum Kufuor will this week ends his term as
Chairman of the African Union and would hand over the mantle at the 10th
Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government in Addis
Ababa. Read more:
www.aumonitor.org/comments/860<http://www.aumonitor.org/comments/860>


*AU Audit Report Finds Serious
Inadequacies*<http://www.pambazuka.org/aumonitor/comments/859/>

Ousseynou Guèye (PANA) - The African Union (AU) organs are afflicted by
serious inadequacies which are preventing the organisation from realising
its goals, according to an audit report submitted to the Executive Council,
which began meeting on Sunday in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa.

*Read more:* www.aumonitor.org/comments/859

Gender Inequality a Hinderance to AU
Agenda<http://www.pambazuka.org/aumonitor/comments/858/> Francis
Ameyibor (Public Agenda) - Irregularities in adapting and implementing
various laws and agreements regarding women's rights and gender equality in
Africa is a threat to the proposed union government of Africa says Ms Meaza
Ashenaphy an Ethiopian lawyer on Wednesday. Read more:
www.aumonitor.org/comments/858
*African Women's Rights
Protocol*<http://www.pambazuka.org/aumonitor/comments/857/>
(Press Release) - The SOAWR Review and Agenda Setting Meeting was held at
the United Nations Conference Centre, United Nations Economic Commission for
Africa, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on 22 - 24 January 2008 on the theme:
Building an Accountable African Union: Perspectives of the African Women's
Movement. The meeting reflected on the national and continental campaign
experiences on the rights of women to date with a view to laying down
continental strategies for the full ratification and the effective
implementation of the *Protocol to the* *African Charter on Human and
Peoples' Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa* by Member States Read
more: www.aumonitor.org/comments/857
*PRC Prepares for AU Summit*<http://www.pambazuka.org/aumonitor/comments/853/>
(PANA) - The Permanent Representatives Committee (PRC) o f the African Union
(AU) member States opened its session here Friday in prepara t ion of the
10th summit of the Union, convened to focus on "industrial developmen t in
Africa". Read more: www.aumonitor.org/comments/853
*Five-Nation Mini-Summit* <http://www.pambazuka.org/aumonitor/comments/852/>

(PANA) - Libya is hosting a five- nation mini-summit of African leaders for
consultation ahead of the next summit of the African Union (AU) slated for
1-3 February in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Read more: www.aumonitor.org/comments/852
*UNAMID Capability in
Question*<http://www.pambazuka.org/aumonitor/comments/851/>
Blake Evans-Pritchard (IPS) - On Jan. 7, military forces from the Sudanese
government opened fire on a convoy of peacekeepers in Darfur. Although the
government denies that the attack was intentional, it has thrown into
question the capability of UNAMID, the joint U.N.-African Union (AU)
peacekeeping mission in the region, to keep the peace. Read more:
www.aumonitor.org/comments/851
*Politics and Ethnicity* <http://www.pambazuka.org/aumonitor/comments/850/>
Hiruy Amanuel (ISS Today) *-* The word ''ethnic politics'' is not very
popular in Africa. There is fear that appealing to ethnicity is
sub-national, narrow and even dangerous. The generally held view is that
politicians should aspire to follow a higher interest - the interest of the
nation, and loyalty to African objectives of unity. Read more:
www.aumonitor.org/comments/850
*Female Child Soldiers* <http://www.pambazuka.org/aumonitor/comments/836/>
(PANA) - The African Union (AU) has commissioned a fresh study on the
involvement of female child soldiers and their roles in conflicts that have
ravaged Africa over the past decade, including the Rwanda genocide, an AU
official said. Read more: www.aumonitor.org/comments/836




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

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