Raising the curtain on the 33rd summit of the African Union

Text by: RFI Follow

Ballet of Heads of State in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, for the opening of the traditional African Union (AU) summit. Forty leaders of the continent are expected for the opening ceremony which is held at the permanent headquarters of the Pan-African organization.

Publicity

With our special correspondents in Addis Ababa, Carine Frenk and Paulina Zidi

First highlight expected during this inauguration ceremony of the 33rd AU summit, the transfer of power between the Egyptian Abdel Fattah al-Sissi and the South African Cyril Ramaphosa who will therefore officially take the rotating presidency of the UA for one year.

This summit should be mainly devoted to security issues. It must be said that the theme chosen this year lends itself to it: "Silence the arms" . A highly symbolic theme on a continent where there are no less than twenty armed conflicts, according to the Peace Research Institute in Oslo (PRIO).

And the crisis in Libya is the point that is already crystallizing the attention of the heads of state and government with, as the first response of the African Union, the organization of a great forum for reconciliation. A forum that would not be limited only to belligerents, as the United Nations is currently doing, but which could include supporters of the old regime, tribes and civil society. This forum would be held on African soil. Another proposal that could be examined during this meeting is the establishment of an AU mission to observe the cease-fire.

The call for solidarity, a recurring credo of the summit

Another important subject is the fight against jihadist groups in the Sahel. As of this Thursday, Moussa Faki Mahamat, the chairman of the AU Commission, launched a vibrant appeal for solidarity from African countries. An extraordinary summit will be organized next May in Pretoria on the initiative of South African President Cyril Ramaphosa.

As for the question of economic integration, the Nigerien president, Mahamadou Issoufou, must present an interim report on the continental free trade area launched with great fanfare last July but which must now be implemented gradually. The heads of state should choose at this summit who will be the first secretary general of the Zlec. Three countries have so far proposed candidates: Nigeria, South Africa and the DRC.

In the Nelson-Mandela conference room, at the organisation's headquarters, thirty-six heads of state and several heads of government are announced. In the Ethiopian capital, we have already seen since this Saturday the Chadian Idriss Deby, the Malian Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta, the Nigerian Muhammadu Buhari, the Congolese Denis Sassou-Nguesso or the Burkinabè Roch Marc Christian Kaboré just like the old, current and future presidents-in-office of the AU, namely the Rwandan Paul Kagame, the Egyptian Abdel Fattah al-Sissi and the South African Cyril Ramaphosa. Are expected this morning: the Congolese Félix Tshisekedi, the Algerian Abdelmajid Tebboune, of whom this is the first African summit and the Guinean Alpha COndé. Among those absent, we note the Cameroonian Paul Biya, whose country is voting today for legislative elections, the Gabonese Ali Bongo, the Tunisian Kaïs Saïed, or the king of Morocco, Mohamed VI, rarely present at these meetings. you.

► AU summit: foreign ministers meet upstream

Newsletter With the Daily Newsletter, find the headlines directly in your mailbox

Download the app

• African Union
• Diplomacy
• Ethiopia

On the same subject

AU summit: South Sudan, the other challenge of Cyril Ramaphosa

AU summit: Peace and Security Council endorses idea of ​​inter-Libyan forum

Interview

Egyptian Presidency of the AU: Ibrahima Kane's uncompromising record