The African Union Sport Council Development (AUSCD) Region IV held its First Council of Ministers’ meeting in Arusha, Tanzania from 2 to 4 May 2023. The meeting was officially opened by Hon Kassim Majaliwa Majaliwa, the Prime Minister of the United Republic of Tanzania who welcomed the delegates to Tanzania and conveyed warm greetings from H.E Samia Suluhu Hassan, President of the United Republic of Tanzania.

H.E. Amb. Minata Samate Cessouma, Commissioner for Health Humanitarian Affairs and Social Development thanked the Government of the United Republic of Tanzania under the leadership of H.E Samia Suluhu Hassan, the President of the United Republic of Tanzania, for hosting the inaugural AUSCD Region IV Council of Ministers’ meeting. In her remarks, Amb. Cessouma was pleased that the process to operationalise AUSCD Region IV that started in 2015 has finally been realised because sports play an important role in bringing social-economic development, integration, social cohesion and peace.

During the meeting, the Council of Ministers elected its Management Board (Troika) that will lead AUSCD Region IV for a period of two years. The Council elected the Republic of Uganda as Chairperson, the Republic of Djibouti as Deputy Chairperson and the Republic of Seychelles as Rapporteur. Furthermore, the Council of Ministers adopted the AUSCD Region IV Constitution and elected the United Republic of Tanzania as the Host Country for the AUSCD Region IV Secretariat. The Council of Ministers also approved the AUSCD Region IV Work Plan for the period 2023 to 2025 and agreed to hold the Second Ordinary Session of the AUSCD Region IV Council of Ministers’ meeting in Zanzibar in the United Republic of Tanzania in April 2024.

There are five (5) AUSCD Regions that are aligned to the geographical distribution of the African Union.  The Regions were created through the endorsement of the Statute of African Union Sport Council by the Assembly of Heads of States and Governments in 2016. Each Region is governed by a Conference of Ministers responsible for sports, an Executive Committee of Experts from Member States of the Region and has its own Secretariat. All the five AUSCD Regions are expected to develop their own strategies, structures, programmes and resource mobilization mechanisms within the objectives of the African Union Sport Council.

This inaugural meeting was attended by nine (9) AUSCD Region IV Member States that included: the State of Comoros, Republic of Djibouti, Republic of Kenya, Republic of Seychelles, Republic of Rwanda, Republic of South Sudan, United Republic of Tanzania, Republic of Uganda and the Federal Republic of Somalia.

For further inquiries, please contact:

1. Dr Decius Chipande, Coordinator African Union Sports Council (AUSC) Email: ChipandeD@africa-union.org,
2. Ms. Lina Paul Kessy, Senior Sports Officer, African Union Sport Council Email: kessyl@africa-union.org

For further information, please contact:

Information and Communication Directorate, African Union Commission I E-mail: DIC@africa-union.org
Web: www.au.int | Addis Ababa, Ethiopia | Follow Us: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube