President Kabbah Returns From African Union Summit
By Marian Samu

The President, Alhaji Dr. Ahmad Tejan Kabbah, has returned to Freetown after attending the African Union summit in Abuja Nigeria, from the 30th-31st January, 2005.

Delivering his statement at the official opening ceremony of the Fourth Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union, His Excellency Olusegun Obasanjo, President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and Chairman of the African Union said, the decision to have a Mid-term session which was adopted at the July 2004 meeting was to primarily have another opportunity to review the implementation of the decisions and declarations adopted at the July meetings, as well as to keep track of the various conflict situations on the continent. He, however, stated that developments since July 2004 have made it even more imperative to meet around this period, to address certain issues of immediate importance and concern to us in Africa.

President Obasanjo cited the renewed escalation of the crisis in Cote d'Ivoire and the situation between the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda, which he said, was threatening the stability of their regions.

On the other hand, he said, there have been some cheering developments especially in respect of the long-standing North-South conflict in the Sudan. He said that the comprehensive Peace Agreement signed in Nairobi on January 9, 2005 provides a basis for a solution to that conflict and if adopted can also help in resolving other conflicts in the Sudan.

President Obasanjo highlighted the issues of food security, HIV/AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis and other infectious diseases as still deserving urgent attention although they have been dealt with at the previous sessions in the recent past. He appealed to the Heads of State to identify the new dimensions that have not been adequately addressed in the existing decisions and declarations and which are capable of facilitating effective implementation and result-oriented plans of action.

Speaking on his promise made after his election as Chairman of the African Union, to visit some countries on behalf of the AU to both introduce the organization, outline priorities, explain what NEPAD is, and seek support for on-going and future projects, President Obasanjo reported that his visits to countries like the United States, the UK, Japan, India, and Sweden have been very fruitful. He reported that the appreciation of the new position and role of the AU as well as of NEPAD is increasing. The atmosphere in the global community, he said, is clearly more conducive, more responsive, and more sympathetic. This disposition of the global community towards Africa today, he noted, provides a better opportunity to obtain more support and resources from friends and development partners. He therefore appealed to all to sit, think and plan together to exploit the changing and conducive atmosphere in the global community.

"To do this, we must continue on the path of sustainable socio-economic and political reforms. We must address in a more determined manner the issue of conflict....We must do all we can to deepen, widen and sustain democratic practice, values and institutions" he emphasized.

Addressing the session also, President Alpha Oumar Konare, Chairman of the Commission of the African Union, among other things, expressed the need for the meeting to focus on the security situation in the continent. He said that if the security situation of the continent does not improve, there can be no development. He spoke about the need to improve the way defence mechanisms work, to enable the deployment of troops more rapidly and to mobilize respective national forces in the service of African causes, alongside regional mechanisms. He also strongly advised partners to "dismantle their network of mercenaries", and emphasized the need to clamp down on merceniarism.

The summit, he said, could also point us in the right direction as we prepare Africa's contribution to the debate on the status of the Millennium Programme. He warned that if we do not assume greater responsibility in the implementation of this Programme and if new resources are not mobilized, the goals set for 2015 will not be attained in the next century.

On the issue of debt reduction, President Konare advised African leaders to ensure that we avoid falling into the trap of conditionalities, and that we prevent the exclusion of some African countries from the debt reduction initiative. He urged them to remember that the total debt cancellation and the doubling of Official Development Assistance will not provide a lasting and comprehensive solution to the problem of financing our development; as we need a critical mass of resources to pursue our development objectives.

The United Nations Secretary-General, Mr. Kofi Annan, although he stated in his address that Africa has a disproportionate share of the world's poor, lags behind other parts of the developing world in achieving the Millennium Development Goals, and continues to suffer from the tragic consequences of deadly conflict and poor governance, praised the African Union for working very hard to advance the goals of NEPAD. He said that in a very short period of time also the AU has made great strides in promoting conflict management in Africa. Nowhere is this more evident than in Sudan's Darfur region, where AU forces have deployed in a very challenging environment and are making an important contribution.

This, he said, is a crucial effort, and the United Nations will continue to offer both political and practical support for it. He also stated that the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement on Sudan earlier in January was a great success for African mediation efforts and offered hopes that all regions of the country can achieve peace, stability and development.

The landmark issues discussed at the summit include the African Union representation in the United Nations Security Council, which will be further determined at a meeting in Swaziland, security concerns of the African sub-region , Food Security, and the prevention, treatment, and elimination of the endemic diseases: Malaria, Tuberculosis, Polio and HIV/AIDS.

At the end of the meetings, President Kabbah paid a visit to the new Sierra Leone High Commission Office in Abuja where he met with the High Commission's staff and a cross-section of the Sierra Leonean community in Nigeria.

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