PAP representatives welcome AU summit resolutions

PAP representatives welcome AU summit resolutions

BY GEORGE KAGAME
Johannesburg


Representatives to the 10th session of the Pan African Parliament have welcomed the resolutions passed at the AU Heads of State summit held in earlier in year in the Egyptian resort city of Sharm El Shiekh.


Presenting the AU heads of state report to the PAP, Dr. Mohamed Farhat said the heads of state expressed concern at the political fragility in Zimbabwe caused by the outbreak of violence after parliamentary and presidential elections held in March. The report expresses “deep concern at the prevailing situation and the implications for political stability as well as its humanitarian consequence; deplores the violence and the loss of life that has occurred in Zimbabwe.”

The report states that the AU leaders discussed a wide range of issues that are currently affecting the continent especially the theme of the meeting which was water and sanitation. The leaders committed themselves increasing the number of people with access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation in Africa.

Sunil Dawarkasing (Mauritius) emphasized this was very crucial as access to safe water was a major target of the Millennium Development goals and if it was achieved a lot of funds would be saved which are currently use in the treatment of preventable diseased caused by drinking poor quality water.


Concerning the increasing food prices on the continent, the report highlighted that African countries have been hardest hit by higher food prices and set back the progress registered in the fight against poverty and hunger and undermined achieving the MDGs.

The summit however was not very clear on the progress towards forming a union government that brings together politically the continent of Africa. The leaders tasked the AU commission to prepare recommendations to be discussed by the January 2009 summit; they also adopted the implementation of the regional and continental integration agenda.


Peace and security in Africa also featured high on the agenda of the HOS summit; they expressed concern on the volatile relations between Ethiopia and Eritrea, Djibouti, Chad, Sudan, Burundi, Comoros, DR Congo, Somalia, and Darfur. The leaders were also unanimous in their support of Sudanese president Omar Bashir who has been indicted by the International Criminal Court for his alleged role in crimes against humanity that are being committed in Darfur.

The report states the principle of universal jurisdiction was abused by the ICC in indicting Bashir, they noted that arrest of that nature are of a “political nature and abuse the principle of universal jurisdiction by judges from some non-African states against African leaders, particularly Rwanda, is a clear violation of their sovereignty and territorial integrity.”

It further noted that the abuse and misuse of indictments against African leaders have destabilizing effects that will negatively impact on political, social and economic development of member states and their ability to conduct international relations.

Rachel Shebesh (Kenya) called upon developed countries that committed themselves pledged to partner African countries in achieving the MDGs to honour their pledges because so far the race to achieve the goals was not serious as African countries lacked the promised support.


In a related development African leaders will hold a summit on Sunday in the latest effort to break the political deadlock in Zimbabwe. Leaders from the Southern African Development Community (Sadc) are due to meet in South Africa; they will also discuss recent fighting in the Democratic Republic of Congo.