Addis Ababa, Ethiopia – 17 May 2016: The African Union Commission informs the public that Haiti will not be admitted as a Member State of the African Union (AU) at its next Summit to be held in Kigali, Rwanda, as erroneously reported by several media outlets.

According to Article 29.1 of the AU’s Constitutive Act, only African States can join the African Union.

Given the importance that the AU accords to the African Diaspora, it has developed strong cooperation with sister States in the Caribbean region and citizens of African descent around the world.

The AU was pleased to welcome Haiti’s President Michel Martelly and his Prime Minister Laurent Lamothe to its Summits in the past as Special Guests, and the AU had a high level delegation at the celebrations of the 200th Anniversary of Haiti in Port-au-Prince, in 2004.

The AU Commission has a Directorate of Citizens and Diaspora Organisations (CIDO), bestowed with the responsibility to facilitate direct peoples’ involvement through Civil Society Organisations from Africa or the Africa Diaspora that wish to interact with the African Union as the “sixth region” of Africa. The proposed 6th Region made of the African Diaspora still awaits ratification by AU Member States.

Worthy of notice is a special Summit organized in Johannesburg, South Africa, in May 2012, to deepen the relationship between the AU and the African Diaspora. The conclusions of the Summit are in the process of being implemented.

For further information contact

Directorate of Information and Communication | African Union Commission I E-mail: dic@african-union.org I Web Site: www.au.int I Addis Ababa | Ethiopia

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