Events

A critical mass of women and gender parity needed to change the world
– Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma

Kingston, Jamaica – 11 April 2015: “Having one woman who made it in a man’s world is not enough. We need a critical mass of women and gender parity, to change it into a humane world.” These were some of the thought-provoking words together with inspirational stories that the Chairperson of the African Union Commission Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma shared with students, lecturers, the Diplomatic Corps, and the general public at the University of West Indies at Mona in Kingston, Jamaica.
Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma was guest speaker at the 8th Biennial Lucille Mathurin-Mair Public Lecture on the theme: “The African year of women and 20 years after Beijing." Paying tribute to Dr. Mathurin-Mair, who was a diplomat, scholar, women’s rights activist, historian and intellectual, she said her thesis on Jamaican women, and her other published works, helped to bring women back into Caribbean history, as well as into African and global history.
Inspired by Dr. Mathurin-Mair’s legacy, she pointed out, “we must encourage the new generations of young sociologists, historians and other scholars - on the African continent and in the Diaspora - to ensure that the contributions of African people and peoples of African descent - in all their rich diversities - and the histories of both men and women are researched, published and popularised.”
Dr. Leith Dunn, Senior Lecturer and Head of the Institute for Gender and Development Studies, that hosted the lectures, said the lecture by the AU Commission Chairperson strengthened the relationship and solidarity between the people of Jamaica and the African continent with “similar backgrounds, a painful past and a glorious future, as we struggle to overcome our history of social, racial and gender inequity.”
A “rebel” woman delivering a lecture in honour of another “rebel” woman was seen a great opportunity. Describing the Dr. Dlamini Zuma as a “quintessential trailblazer for human rights, women empowerment and gender equality” as was Dr. Mathurin Mair, Prof. Isehenkumba Kahwa Deputy of the University of West Indies Mona Campus, said the lecture was a signature moment for students of the UWI and the public to learn from giants in their fields. He said that the lecture inspired young women to yearn for greatness.
The visit of the AU Commission Chairperson was equally seen as exemplifying the endless possibilities that South-South cooperation could generate. Her knowledge and experience will help shape the Post-2015 Development Agenda through gender empowerment and development in Africa and the Caribbean.
The UWI is proudly using model curricula developed for gender mainstreaming in the academia by the Makerere University in Uganda. It currently hosts many students from Africa, and the African Diaspora is represented in the High Level Panel of the Pan-African University.
During the lecture the Chairperson took the opportunity to present Africa’s Agenda 2063, and the drive to its full implementation. Linking the agenda to women’s empowerment, she said, “The focus on women and girls, their contribution and empowerment, is critical to the implementation of Agenda 2063,” highlighting examples of concrete ongoing plans in 2015 which is the African Year of Women’s Empowerment.
Dr. Dlamini Zuma expressed her delight to be part of celebrations to mark the 80th anniversary of Former PM PJ Patterson, “whose life and enthusiasm,” she added, “continue to exemplify the ties that bind us together.”

JEE/

Kingston, Jamaica – 9 April 2015: The Chairperson of the African Union (AU) Commission Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma arrived in Kingston, Jamaica on Wednesday 8 April 2015, where she will deliver a lecture at the University of West Indies at Mona, a keynote address at the Jamaica Phenomenal Women Breakfast and also carry out other engagements.

The AU Commission Chairperson’s lecture will take place on Thursday, 9 April 2015 at 6:00 pm (Kingston’s time), at the University of West Indies Mona, which is the Caribbean's top university, renowned for its world-class higher education. The Lecture is set to start celebrations marking the 80th Birthday of H.E. Percival James Patterson, Former Prime Minister of Jamaica (1992-2006), and serving Council Member of the newly established AU Foundation.

On Friday, 10 April 2015, Dr. Dlamini Zuma will deliver a keynote address on the theme, “Women Leadership: ensuring transformation and sustainable development”, at the Jamaica Phenomenal Women Breakfast. Expected at the breakfast keynote address are leading women from the public and private sectors, members of the Diplomatic Corps, members of prominent women’s movements in Jamaica, along with select youth leaders and mentees of the International Women Forum (IWF) Jamaica.

The breakfast keynote event will serve as an opportunity for the IWF Jamaica Chapter to commemorate the beginning of the Decade Dedicated to People of African Descent.
JEE/

Cairo, Egypt – 7th April 2015: The Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, has been honoured with CAF’s Platinum Order of Merit Award on Tuesday 7th April 2015 during the 37th Ordinary General Assembly of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) held in Cairo (Egypt). The AU Commission Chairperson is the second person to receive this prestigious award in the history of CAF.

“Through this award, the Confederation of African Football intends to recognize the immense contribution of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission to an emerging Africa, particularly through her vision, Agenda 2063, but most importantly to show gratitude for the support she has always been able to demonstrate to CAF since she took office”, CAF President, Issa Hayatou, said announcing the award during the meeting attended by its 54 members of national football associations, Egyptian Prime Minister, Ibrahim Mahlab, FIFA President Sepp Blatter and delegations from other continental football associations.

Issa Hayatou also noted with gratitude that the AU Commission Chairperson was among the first to welcome Equatorial Guinea’s decision to host the 2015 African Cup of Nations, at a time when the Ebola Virus Disease was causing a scare.

Receiving the award, Dr. Dlamini Zuma said, “It is a great honour for me to accept this Platinum Order of Merit Award, not only on my own behalf, but on behalf of the African Union and women”.

She recognised CAF’s role in the fight against Ebola, highlighting the fact that the organisation of AFCON 2015 showed that Africa can indeed prevent Ebola from spreading. “We stand firm in our solidarity with the affected countries, and the stigmatization of these countries and indeed, of Africa as a whole, was ill-conceived. Apart from hosting the successful finals, CAF should be proud that not a single match was cancelled during the elimination phase”, she noted.

Dr. Dlamini Zuma took the opportunity of the presence of FIFA to express Africa’s hope of hosting the World Cup again, “…but not in a hundred years!” She hoped to see more women on FIFA’s Executive Committee and promised to deliver Sepp Blatter’s message of gratitude to African Heads of State and Government for their support during the next Summit.

The Chairperson of the African Union Commission appoints the Judges of the Trial Chamber of the African Extraordinary Chambers within the Courts of Senegal

Addis Ababa – 6 April 2015: The Chairperson of the African Union Commission H.E. Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma appointed the Judges of the Trial Chamber of the African Extraordinary Chambers (AEC) within the Courts of Senegal in accordance with Article 11 of the Statute of the AEC. As recommended by the competent authorities of the Republic of Senegal, the Chairperson of the Commission appointed for a period of ten (10) months the following Judges:

1) Mr. Gbertao Gustave KAM, Presiding Judge (Burkina Faso);
2) Mr. Amady DIOUF, Judge (Senegal);
3) Mr. Moustapha BA, Judge (Senegal); and
4) Mr. Pape Ousmane DIALLO, Alternate Judge (Senegal).

Justice Gbertao Gustave KAM, the President of the Trial Chamber of the AEC is from Burkina Faso. He is a professional Judge who held important positions in the past, both in the Judiciary of Burkina Faso and within the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR). He is currently the Technical Adviser of the Minister of Justice of Burkina Faso. Furthermore, the Senegalese Judges appointed by the Chairperson of the Commission are also professional Judges who held recently important positions in the Judiciary of Senegal.

It should be recalled that vide Assembly Decision/AU/Dec.401 (XVIII) adopted on 31 January 2012, the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union requested the African Union Commission and the Government of Senegal to examine the practical modalities as well as the legal and financial implications for the prosecution of those most responsible for international crimes committed on the territory of Chad from 7 June 1982 to 01 December 1990 including Mr. Hissein Habré, former President of Chad. To implement this decision, the African Union and the Government of the Republic of Senegal signed in Dakar, Senegal, on 22nd August 2012, the Agreement on the establishment of African Extraordinary Chambers within the Courts of Senegal.

The establishment of the AEC is one of various concrete steps taken by the African Union and its Member States to fight against impunity on the continent in accordance with the Constitutive Act and other relevant instruments of the AU. In this regard, it should be noted that the fight against impunity –including the crime of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity- constitutes a fundamental principle in the basic law of the African Union, and is part of the shared values of the Union to which all Member States have committed themselves. Indeed the Constitutive Act of the Union characterizes the commission of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide as unacceptable to AU Member States and as a sufficient legal basis for intervention by the Union in a Member State, without the consent of the concerned State in accordance with the provisions of Article 4 (h) of the Constitutive Act of the AU.

Additionally, the Commission wishes to recall the adoption on 27 June 2014 in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea by the Assembly of the Union of the Protocol on Amendments to the Protocol on the Statute of the African Court of Justice and Human Rights which gives criminal jurisdiction to the African Court of Justice to try international and transnational crimes on the basis of the principle of complementarity with national criminal jurisdictions.

Mr. Hissein Habré, Former President of Chad is charged by the African Extraordinary Chambers with crimes against humanity, war crimes and torture during his presidency from 1982 to 1990. On 2 July 2013, he was arrested and placed in pre-trial detention in Dakar (Senegal). The investigation stage and the confirmation of charges in the case the Prosecutor V. Hissein Habré were closed on 13 February 2015. Thus, the investigating judges decided that there was sufficient evidence to send Mr. Habré to trial.

Following the confirmation of charges and appointment of the Judges of the Trial Chamber of the AEC, the Trial of Mr. Hissein Habré will begin in earnest as may be decided by the Judges of the Trial Chamber. In this regard, the Commission reiterates its support for the African Extraordinary Chambers and wishes to thank the Investigating Judges, the Judges of the Pre-Trial Chamber and Police Officers of the AEC whose term of office came to an end on 15 February 2015.

Finally, the Commission wishes to commend the Government of the Republic of Chad for its continuous support to the AEC and for recently organizing in Ndjamena (Chad) the trial of the top security agents, some of whom were indicted with Hissein Habré but were still held in Chad.

For more information, visit: http:www.chambresafricaines.org or http://www.au.int

For more information, please contact the Office of Legal Counsel of the African Union, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Interview requests should be addressed to Ms. Esther Azaa Tankou, Head of Information Division, Directorate of Information and Communication of the African Union, Tel: +251 911361185 E-mail: yamboue@africa-union.org / esthertankou@yahoo.com

Addis Ababa, 2 April 2015: The Chairperson of the Commission of the African Union (AU), Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, strongly condemns the cowardly terrorist attack against the campus of Garissa University College, in north eastern Kenya, perpetrated today by the al-Shabaab terrorist group and during which scores of innocent students and staff were killed, while many others were injured.

The Chairperson of the Commission is appalled by such barbaric act. She offers the AU's heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims and wishes speedy recovery to all those injured. She expresses AU's solidarity with the people and Government of Kenya and full support to their efforts in combatting the scourge of terrorism. She reiterates the AU's deep appreciation to Kenya for its outstanding contribution to the African Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) and the huge sacrifices made towards stabilizing that country, as part of the overall efforts to promote peace and security in the region and the continent as a whole.

The Chairperson of the Commission underlines, once again, the need for renewed and coordinated African efforts to prevent and combat terrorism and violent extremism, within the framework of the relevant continental and international instruments. She reiterates the AU's determination to continue supporting the effforts being deployed in this respect by the countries of the region, both through AMISOM and the Djibouti Process on the Enhancement of Security Cooperation in East Africa launched by the 1st meeting of the Heads of Intelligence and Security Services of the member states of the Inter-Governemental Authority on Development (IGAD) and the East African Community (EAC), held in Djibouti a month ago.