Events

Press Release Nº179/2015

AU Commission Chairperson sends best wishes to African athletes participating in the Indian Ocean Island Games

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia – 2 August 2015: The African Union Commission Chairperson H.E. Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma has sent a message of best wishes to all African athletes, coaches, team officials, volunteers and organizers of the Island States participating in the Indian Ocean Island Games (IOIG) in Reunion Island, from the 1st to the 9th of August 2015.

The 9th edition of the IOIG, a multi-sport event with also a youth and cultural component, was officially opened on Saturday 1 August on Reunion Island. Athletes from Comoros, Madagascar, Mauritius, Maldives, Mayotte, Reunion Island and the Seychelles will participate in sports and cultural events from the 1st to 9th August 2015.

“I have no doubt that the ideals of non-violence, fair play and tolerance, being at the heart of all competitions, will prevail in this important sporting event of the Indian Ocean.

I appeal to all those who will be part of the event to fully live the principles of friendship, fair play, acceptance and solidarity during the ten days of competition and youth cultural events,” Dr. Dlamini Zuma said after the opening of the games.

The AUC Chairperson also reiterated the Commission’s recognition of the sovereignty of the Union of the Comoros over Mayotte. This is in support of the decision of the Comorian delegation to walk out after the Mayotte delegation used the French flag instead of the flag of the Games as stipulated by the Games’ Charter.

The AUC Chairperson has congratulated all athletes who have already won medals and sent her encouragements to the other competitors.

Sports have always been a unifying factor in Africa and in the world. The AU encourages participation in such sporting events as the Indian Ocean Island Games as occasions for interacting and forging strong bonds of friendship between people.

FS/JEE

Directorate of Information and Communication

Directorate of Information and Communication | Information and Communication | African Union Commission
Tel: +251-11-5517700 | Fax: | E-mail: DIC@africa-union.org | Web:www.au.int

Addis Ababa | Ethiopia

Press Release No. 173/2015

President Obama hails Africa’s development in a historic visit to the African Union Headquarters

Description: 4Addis Ababa, 28 July 2015: "Although we welcome you as the President of the United States of America, we also claim you as our own”. With those words, H.E Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, Chairperson of the African Union Commission, welcomed the US President H.E. Barack Hussein Obama to the AU Headquarters, today Tuesday 28th July 2015. The visit is the first by a sitting USA president to the African Union.

AUC Chairperson noted the strong and historic bond of Africa and the USA, which forged with the blood and sweat of African sons and daughters captured and forced across the Atlantic Ocean, toiling on the plantations and cities that made the United States into the great country it is.

The Chairperson also warmly welcomed the Congressional delegation, recalling their bipartisan unwavering support, and the support of ordinary Americans, to the African struggle against colonialism and apartheid.

She further highlighted that this visit comes at a time when the African continent has adopted a framework for its development for the coming fifty years, Agenda 2063, the Africa we want. “Africa is a youthful continent and likely to remain so over the next few decades. By the end of this century, one in three of the world’s population will be African. Over half of its population is women. Our people therefore remain our most precious resource” she added.

Description: 2AUC Chairperson said the continent is in a unique position to chart its development and industrialization path that is different, through renewable energy and climate-smart agriculture, highlighting its endeavors in technology, infrastructure, and Launching of negotiations for the Continental Free Trade Area, to enhance intra-Africa and global trade and investments and others

However, despite progress, AUC acknowledged the challenges that Africa facing, include terrorism and corruption. “We are as concerned as you are with the global threats of terrorism and extremism and Africa is playing its part in the fight against Al-Shabaab and Boko Haram. South Sudan and Libya area also major challenges, and we hope that the IGAD process will bear fruits by the next scheduled meeting. We must all work to build greater tolerance for religious, cultural and political diversity, and build inclusive societies” she added.

Corruption as a global phenomenon is of great concern to us. Contrary to popular perceptions of corruption in Africa, the report of the Panel chaired by former President Thabo Mbeki on the Illicit Financial Flows from the continent (amounting to over 50 billion US dollars per year) shows, that over 60% of these outflows are as a result of the activities of large commercial companies, with criminal activity accounting for a further a 30% and political corruption less than 10%. We must therefore tackle this issue head-on, based on accurate diagnosis of where the problem lies, and through collective action” Dr. Zuma said.

The Chairperson also called for investing in women, saying women’s empowerment is not only a human rights issue, but also makes economic sense, and is a guarantee for sustainable peace, community stability and cohesion. She further pointed out women’ contribution to the prosperity of families and communities, especially since women on average contribute 70% of their income to the household, whilst men on average only contribute 30% of their incomes towards households and communities. “It is critical to shared prosperity and to Africa becoming a prosperous, integrated, peaceful, people-centered continent, playing a dynamic role in the world” she concluded.

In his farewell speech, following a historic trip to Kenya and Ethiopia, U.S. President Barack Obama hailed Africa's extraordinary progress, while noting that such progress can only be sustained through continued progress and democracy for all. It was the first speech to the AU by a sitting USA president.

“I stand before you as a proud American. I also stand before you as the son of an African” said President Obama during his address to the African Union. He summarized his personal interest in seeing Africa’s continued economic and developmental growth as it sheds a history of colonialism. Obama hailed the continent’s gains, from a plummeting HIV/AIDS infections rate to millions of Africans being lifted out of poverty, while championing the U.S. role in such gains.

President Obama also stressed the need for strong functional institutions and reforms in trade and industry to help the continent generate more jobs, boosted by its imminent population boom that could help foster employment opportunities.

Urging Africa's leaders to make their countries more attractive to foreign investment, the US President also called for ending corruption, upholding democratic freedoms, supporting human rights, and observing proper mediums of power transfer, as it is the African people who can best liberate themselves from the wide spread political, social and moral vices that have scared the continent. He further urging the African Union to spear head all development agendas and lead by example.

He called on the AU to use its authority to help make sure African leaders stick to their term limits and follow their constitutions. "Nobody should be president for life," said Obama, who leaves office in January 2017.

US President also stressed that peace and security is very pertinent in Africa's progress, as it creates increased level of investment potential in the continent, pledging continuous U.S support and collaboration in the fight against terrorism.

President Obama’s visit to the AU Headquarter marks the end of a five-day tour to Africa that included an earlier stop in Kenya where he participated in the Global Entrepreneurship Summit in Nairobi.

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 Follow us

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AfricanUnionCommission

Twitter: https://twitter.com/_AfricanUnion

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/AUCommission

Learn more at: http://www.au.int

Addis Ababa, 8 July 2015: The Chairperson of the Commission of the African Union (AU), Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, reiterates the AU’s deep concern at the prevailing situation in Burundi and the serious risks it poses to peace and security in the country, as well as to regional stability.

The Chairperson of the Commission welcomes the continued efforts of the region to assist in finding a peaceful and consensual solution to the crisis facing Burundi. In this respect, she congratulates the Heads of State of the East African Community (EAC) for holding a 3rd Emergency Summit on Burundi, in Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania, on 6 July 2015. She encourages the regional leaders to pursue and intensify their efforts, bearing in mind the urgency and the seriousness of the situation. She looks forward to the steps to be taken by President Yoweri Museveni, in his capacity as Facilitator of the Inter-Burundian Dialogue. In this respect, the Commission will continue to work closely with the EAC and extend all necessary support to the efforts of its Facilitator.

The Chairperson of the Commission emphasizes, once again, that only genuine dialogue among the Burundian stakeholders and consensus based on respect of the Arusha Agreement for Peace and Reconciliation in Burundi and the Constitution of the country would make it possible to find a lasting solution to the current crisis. She stresses the critical importance of national ownership. The Chairperson of the Commission urges all concerned to eschew violence and resort exclusively to peaceful means in order to overcome the current challenges. She underlines the need for the scrupulous respect of human rights and fundamental freedoms.

The Chairperson of the Commission renews the AU’s commitment to contribute to the search for a peaceful solution, within the framework of the communiqué adopted by the Peace and Security Council (PSC) at its 515th meeting held in Johannesburg, South Africa, on 13 June 2015, at the level of Heads of State and Government.

The Chairperson of the Commission recalls that at its 515th meeting, the PSC agreed on the immediate deployment of human rights observers, as well as on the deployment of AU military experts to verify, in collaboration with the Government and other concerned actors, the process of disarming the militias and other armed groups. She further recalls that the just-concluded EAC Summit called on the Government of Burundi to disarm the Imbonerakure and other armed youth groups allied to political parties, and requested the AU to urgently deploy military observers to oversee the disarmament process. In this respect, the Commission has put in place a Start-up Team of civilian and military experts ready for immediate deployment to Burundi, while efforts are underway to generate additional personnel. The AU looks forward to the urgent confirmation by the Government of Burundi of its readiness to receive the Team without any further delay.

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia – 30 June 2015: The Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, on behalf of all AGOA eligible countries, has commended President Barack Obama for his leadership and strong commitment to enhancing Africa-U.S. economic partnership. President Obama, on Monday June 29, 2015, signed into law the Trade Preference Extension Act of 2015, to enact a 10-year renewal of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA).

The Chairperson of the AU Commission also expressed her gratitude to members of both Houses of Congress for their strong and broad bipartisan support for the reauthorization of AGOA. “Their vote to extend AGOA for 10 years is an eloquent illustration of the importance they attach to the U.S.’s relationship with Africa, and their interest in advancing sustainable trade relations with the continent,” said the Chairperson.

The Chairperson also commended the efforts of the private sector, African civil society and the Diaspora, who worked tirelessly with the African Ambassadors Group in Washington, D.C. and the AU Mission to promote a long-term extension of AGOA for the best interest of Africa-U.S. relations.

The preferences that AGOA provides have fostered a mutually beneficial partnership that will allow for job creation in both Africa and the U.S., and the enhancement of trade and business environments. AGOA demonstrates how a trade preference can catalyse the expansion and creation of new industries, new export sectors, and new jobs that promote the reduction of poverty and sustainable economic development of the continent.

Over 1.5 million jobs have been directly and indirectly created on the continent thanks to the economic opportunities it provides, with many supporting women and youth. Extending AGOA through September 2025 will provide the necessary certainty for long term and predictable U.S. investments in Africa and foster ever increasing economic development and deepened commercial ties over the next decade.

The AUC Chairperson reiterated the commitment of the AU Commission to work with all stakeholders to ensure that the new AGOA legislation meets its potential in promoting growth, development, increased industrialization and furthering integration of Africa into global and regional supply chains.

The Chairperson Dr. Dlamini Zuma looks forward to hosting President Barack Obama on the historic occasion of the first ever visit of a sitting U.S. President to the AU headquarters at the end of July. The Presidential visit will provide an excellent opportunity to further advance common interests and to take the Africa-U.S. strategic partnership to a higher level.

Addis Ababa, 17 June 2015: The Chairperson of the Commission of the African Union (AU), Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, is closely monitoring the evolution of the situation in Madagascar, after the decision issued, on 12 June 2015, by the High Constitutional Court (HCC), following the resolution for the impeachment of the President of the Republic, filed on 27 May 2015 by the Malagasy National Assembly.

The Chairperson of the Commission recalls that at the AU Summit which ended in Johannesburg, South Africa, on 15 June 2015, the Heads of State and Government, having reaffirmed their support for the efforts towards stabilization and socio-economic recovery in Madagascar, requested all the Malagasy political stakeholders to respect the decision of the HCC and to work toward the creation of the climate of stability necessary for Madagascar to continue to benefit from international support. The Summit also called on the Malagasy political stakeholders to exercise restraint, in order to allow the proper functioning of the institutions of the country.

The Chairperson of the Commission echoes the appeal of the Summit and the statement made, on 13 June 2015, by the International Support Group for Madagascar (GIS-M), chaired by the AU. She urges the Malagasy political stakeholders to demonstrate a high sense of responsibility and to spare their country a new cycle of instability, which could only complicate the mobilization of the support that Madagascar needs for its socio-economic recovery, after several years of crisis. She emphasizes the imperative of stability and of the proper functioning of the Malagasy institutions, as well as the duty of all Malagasy actors to contribute to the consolidation of the gains made within the framework of the crisis exit process in their country. In this regard, she reiterates the AU’s support to the Malagasy institutions and people.