AU Liaison Office in Sudan Celebrates the 50th Anniversary of the OAU/AU in Khartoum

Khartoum, 25 May 2013 - The African Union Liaison Office in Sudan (AULOS) kicked off celebrations of the 50th Anniversary of the OAU/AU with a round table discussion on 22 May 2013. The roundtable brought together a panel comprising of African Ambassadors accredited to The Sudan including the Ambassadors of Ethiopia, Tunisia and Zimbabwe, the Director of International Cooperation at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Sudan and the Dean of the Institute of African Studies and Research, Africa International University. Also in the Panel was Amb. Mahmoud Kane, Head of AU Liaison Office in Sudan.

The panelists discussed issues related to the role of the African Union, challenges facing the organization and its future prospects. The panelists unanimously agreed that unity of the continent of Africa is the key ingredient for fostering growth and development in Africa. Also discussed was the special relationship between the AU and Sudan from being a founding nation of the OAU to its commitment to AU processes, in particular the AUHIP negotiations. The roundtable discussion was televised on local television stations and covered by both Arabic and English Press.

On 25th May 2013, the AULOS together with the African Ambassadors Group hosted over seven-hundred guests including diplomats from all sectors of the diplomatic community in Sudan, government officials, religious leaders and members of the civil society, in an evening filled with a variety of activities at the Diplomatic Club in Khartoum. The programme began with a football match between African diplomatic group and Sudan which was won by the African Group after a penalty shootout, following a 2 all draw in regular time. This was followed by an exhibition of African Arts and crafts, textiles, agricultural products and tourism sites among others. The AULOS stand was the most popular with guests receiving AU memorabilia marking the 50 years.

The exhibition was followed by speeches by the Dean of the African group who is also the Moroccan Ambassador to Sudan, the Ambassador of Ethiopia to Sudan, the Director of International Cooperation at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Sudan, and the Head of AU Liaison Office. This was preceded by the playing of the AU and Sudan anthems. Immediately after the speeches, the speakers led in the cutting of the 50th Anniversary cake to raptures applause of the guests setting the tone for the celebrations. Following this, guests were treated to an array of African cuisine from across the continent which was punctuated by a display of music and dance by various Sudanese artists.

The entertainment also included a recital of the poem “I am an African”, from former President Thabo Mbeki’s speech in 1996, by students from the University of Medical Science and Technology. The evening was concluded with a raffle where the prizes included two nights at the Corinthia hotel and two return air-tickets to Addis –Ababa, among others, courtesy of Corinthia Hotel and Ethiopian airlines.