The 10th Ordinary Session of the African Union (AU) Summit of
Heads of State and Government kicked off Thursday in Addis Ababa,
seat of the pan-African body.
More than 40 heads of state and government from AU members
attended the summit, held under the theme "Industrial Development
of Africa" and due to conclude Saturday.
Highlights of the summit are expected to include the election of
AU Commission chairperson and other members, discussion of peace
and security on the continent and in the Middle East, industrial
development of Africa, and also the African Union Government.
Other topics to be discussed during the summit will include: the
adoption of the 2008 AU Budget; consideration of the Reports of the
Executive Council on the Audit of the Union and the Report of the
Ministerial Committee on the Union Government; the Report on the
activities of the Peace and Security Council and the State of Peace
and Security in Africa as well as the AIDS Watch Africa Report.
In preparation for the summit, the 12th Session of the Executive
Council of the AU attended by ministers was held from Sunday till
early Thursday in Addis Ababa.
During the executive council meetings, African unity, the
Economic Partnership Agreements negotiation with the European
Union, and the New Partnership for African Development have been
duly discussed and debated.
Meanwhile, a memorandum of understanding between the AU and the
group of Regional Economic Communities was signed in cooperation in
economic and peace and security fields.
Ten countries from five African regions have also been elected
as members of the AU Peace and Security Council during the session.
They are Burundi and Chad from Central Africa, Rwanda and Uganda
from Eastern Africa, Tunisia from Northern Africa, Swaziland and
Zambia from Southern Africa, and Benin, Burkina Faso and Mali from
Western Africa.
(Xinhua News Agency January 31, 2008)
