AU Monitor: Issue 128, 2008

Wed Mar 12 13:06:37 GMT 2008

AU Monitor: Issue 128, 2008

Headlines

1.              SADC Observers Arrive in Zimbabwe

2.              EU Not Threatened by China in Africa

3.              Land Policy in West Africa

4.              ACHPR Resolution on Somalia

5.              ACHPR Resolution on Kenya

6.              AU - Iran Cooperation

7.              Central African States Summit on Chad

8.              APRM Hails Nigeria

9.              Consultations on East African Federation

10.           Lacunas in Darfur

11.           Diaspora Led Investments

12.           Lessons for AU from EU

13.           Align with Economic Integration

Roundup

This week’s AU Monitor brings you analysis from John Palmer on the  
lessons from the European Union (EU) for the African Union.   
Providing a detailed background of the structures, membership  
criteria and values of the EU, he asks whether regional blocs will be  
able to manage globalisation without strengthening collective  
decision making and whether they will “have to move beyond  
cooperation and agree to at least some elements of sovereignty  
sharing and supranational integration” in order to do so.  However,  
he concludes contentiously with the assertion that the purpose of the  
Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) between the EU and AU “is to  
foster regional economic integration” without providing analysis on  
how they will effectively achieve this.  Indeed, civil society  
organisations called this week on the EU to align EPAs with Africa’s  
economic integration plans and “stop trying to re-colonise Africa”.   
While the EU remains Africa’s biggest trading partner, China’s role  
in Africa has become the subject of inquiry in a soon to be released  
report by the European Parliament Development Committee.  Yet,  
Jonathan Holslag asserts that China is not a competitor to the EU in  
Africa, other than in the energy sector, and states that  
“transparency and good governance are the most important issues in  
which EU and China should act extensively and more concrete plan of  
action".  Also vying for closer cooperation with Africa, Iran hosted  
a delegation from the African Union Commission to explore avenues for  
joint action in areas such as development, trade and industry.

In regional news, Rwanda and Burundi have launched public  
consultations on the East African federation to compile views from a  
cross section of stakeholders that can feed toward a common country  
position.  In West Africa, the African Union will hold a land policy  
workshop in mid-April to, among other aims, reach consensus on  
“regional specificities, initiatives and lessons that should be  
included in the continental framework”.  While in southern Africa,  
Southern African Development Community (Sadc) observers have arrived  
in Zimbabwe to observe the forthcoming presidential, parliamentary  
and council elections in the country.  The Economic Community of  
Central African States is holding an extraordinary summit in the  
Democratic Republic of Congo on the situation in Chad, just as the  
African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights has released its  
resolutions on the human rights situation in Kenya and Somalia. Also  
in peace and security news, Festus Aboagye provides analysis of  
current efforts to put the difficulties faced by the joint AU – UN  
peacekeeping force in Darfur on the United Nations Security Council  
agenda.  He further challenges the international community to  
“exercise the moral courage necessary to review that course of  
action, rather than blindly adhere to one fraught with insurmountable  
challenges”.

In development news, the African Peer Review Mechanism has hailed  
Nigeria’s self-assessment report which covers up to twenty two  
thousand households, has been translated into local languages and is  
said to surpass “all other reports” received so far by the country  
review teams.  Lastly, the African Development Bank has concluded a  
workshop on Diaspora led investments as “the role and impact of the  
Diaspora and their remittances as well as their potential positive  
contribution to development is becoming increasingly critical for  
policy and strategic considerations”.

Read More

SADC Observers Arrive in Zimbabwe

(The Herald) -- The first group of the Sadc election observer team  
has arrived in the country and begins its work today with the  
regional grouping’s executive secretary, Dr Salamao Tomaz, expected  
to join them today.

Read more: www.aumonitor.org/comments/1147/

EU Not Threatened by China in Africa

Ama Achiaa Amankwah (Public Agenda) -- The European Union does not  
feel threatened by China's economic presence in Africa, contrary to  
common perception, says an expert. The EU's basic concern is that  
Africa is able to benefit from the new economic interest.

Read more: www.aumonitor.org/comments/1146/

Land Policy in West Africa

The African Union will hold a regional consultative workshop on land  
policy in West Africa from the 15th to the 18th of April, 2008 in  
Ougadougou, Burkina Faso.

Read more: www.aumonitor.org/comments/1145/

ACHPR Resolution on Somalia

The African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (the African  
Commission), meeting at its 4th Extraordinary Session in Banjul, The  
Gambia, from 17th to 23rd February 2008:

Read more: www.aumonitor.org/comments/1144/

ACHPR Resolution on Kenya

The African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (the African  
Commission), meeting at its 4th Extraordinary Session in Banjul, The  
Gambia, from 17th to 23rd February 2008:

Read more: www.aumonitor.org/comments/1143/

AU - Iran Cooperation

Press Release—A delegation from the African Union Commission (AUC)  
led by Ambassador John Shinkaiye, Chief of Staff in the Office of the  
Chairperson of AU Commission visited Tehran, Islamic Republic of  
Iran, from 25 to 26 February 2008 and had discussions with the  
Iranian delegation led by Ambassador Javid Ghorbaloghli, Director for  
Africa in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of  
Iran.

Read more: www.aumonitor.org/comments/1142/

Central African States Summit on Chad

(PANA) - The extra-ordinary summit of the Economic Community of  
Central African States (CEEAC) on the crisis in Chad opened here Monday.

Read more: www.aumonitor.org/comments/1141/

APRM Hails Nigeria

(Afriquenligne)—The Country Review Team (CRT) of the African Peer  
Review Mechanism (APRM) has lauded Nigeria’s self-assessment report,  
which is expected to be validated by the CRT ahead of the peer review  
of Nigeria in July.

Read more: www.aumonitor.org/comments/1140/

Consultations on East African Federation

(APA) -- Rwandan President Paul Kagame on Monday launched a  
countrywide consultative process aiming at collecting views of  
Rwandans on the acceleration of an East African Federation.

Read more: www.aumonitor.org/comments/1139/

Lacunas in Darfur

ISS Today—February 2008 saw the United Nations embark on what appears  
to be a media offensive aiming at putting the challenges facing the  
African Union-United Nations Operation in Darfur (UNAMID) firmly on  
the Security Council’s agenda.

Read more: www.aumonitor.org/comments/1138/

Diaspora Led Investments

Press Release—Representatives of the African Development Bank Group  
recently participated in a seminar on “Promoting Diaspora-led  
Investments and Leveraging Remittances as a Source of Financing for  
Enhanced Growth and Development in Africa” held in Cape Town, South  
Africa.

Read more: www.aumonitor.org/comments/1137/

Lessons for AU from EU

John Palmer -- An editorial commentator in an Indian newspaper  
recently observed that “The European Union appears to be more loved  
and respected from afar than it is at home.” It was, perhaps, an  
unduly harsh – but not an unreasonable – observation.

Read more: www.aumonitor.org/comments/1135/

Align with Economic Integration

Brigitte Weidlich (The Namibian) -- Nine civil society organisations  
have called on the European Union and its Trade Commission to align  
its economic partnership proposals with Africa's economic integration  
plans.

Read more: www.aumonitor.org/comments/1134/

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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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