Six to contest for AU Commission slot

From Francis Ameyibor GNA Special Correspondent

Addis Ababa (Ethiopia), Jan 24, GNA - Seven leading African personalities have filed documents to contest for the African Union (AU) Commission Chairpersonship at the 10th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of state and Government scheduled from January 31st to February 2nd at the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa.

The personalities including two women are; Mrs. Antoinette Batumabwira of Burundi, Mrs. Inonge Mbikusita-Dlamni of Zambia, Mr. Abdulai Osman Conteh of Sierra Leone, Mr Jean Ping of Gabon and Mr. Cassam Uteem of Mauritius and Mr. Bamabas Sibusiso Dlamini of Swaziland.

This was made known to the Ghana News Agency at Addis Ababa during the 11th Pre-Summit Consultative Meeting on Gender Mainstreaming in African Union organized by Femmes Africa Solidarite (FAS) in collaboration with Gender Is My Agenda Campaign, a network of 54 women's groupings, regional bodies, United Nations Agencies and governments from 20 African countries.

Other contestants for the various positions included Mr Khair Eldin Abdel Latif of Egypt, and Mr Erastus J. O. Mwencha of Kenya for the Deputy Chairperson position. Guinea, Kenya, Algeria, Lesotho, Cameroon, Congo and Nigeria are vying for the position on the Peace and Security Commission, Djibouti, Guinea, Burkina Faso, Lesotho, Botswana, Kenyan, Gambia, and Burundi are contesting for the Political Affairs office.

The rest are Infrastructure and Energy which has Egypt, Libya, Cameroon, and Congo vying with the Social Affairs Office being contested by Egypt, Cameroon, Libya, Benin, Botswana, Congo, Mali, Tanzania and Burkina Faso The meeting on the general theme: "Industrial Development of Africa", the up coming AU Summit will feature the election of the Chairperson of the Union and other Members of the Bureaus.

According to GNA investigations the election and appointment of the Chairperson and the Deputy Chairperson of the Commission as well as the Commissioners will be the highlight of the Summit.

New Members of the Peace and Security Council will also be appointed during the 10th Ordinary Session of the AU Assembly. Topical issues to be discussed during the Summit will include: the adoption of the 2008 Budget; Consideration of the Reports of the Executive Council on the Audit of the Union and the Report of the Ministerial Committee on the Union Government; the Report on the activities of the Peace and Security Council and the State of Peace and Security in Africa as well as the AIDS Watch Africa (AWA) Report. The Report of the Chairperson of NEPAD Heads of State and Government Implementation Committee will be dwelt with during the deliberations.

Meanwhile, participants at the Summit will also consider some items proposed by Member States and adopt the Decision of the 12th Ordinary Session of the Executive Council as well as the Decision and Declaration of the 10th Ordinary Session of the Assembly. During the closing ceremony, the Chair of United Nations Secretary General's Advisory Board on Water and Sanitation (UNSGAD) will address the Summit.

The 10th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the African Union will be preceded by the 15th Session of the Permanent Representatives Committee (PRC) scheduled for 25-26 January 2008, and the 12th Ordinary Session of the Executive Council scheduled to take place from 27 - 29 January 2008.

Meanwhile, Ms Bineta Diop, FAS Executive Director has called for action on the Solemn Declaration on Gender Equality in Africa (SDGEF) adopted by African Heads of State in July 2004.

The SDGEF declaration calls on African governments to accelerate the implementation of gender specific economic, social and legal measures aimed at combating the HIV AIDS pandemic, ensure the full and effective participation and representation of women in peace processes including prevention, resolution, management of conflicts and post-conflict reconstruction in Africa stipulated in UN Resolution 1325.

Speaking at the 11th Consultative Meeting on Gender Mainstreaming in the African Union which forms part of the pre-AU Summits, Ms Diop noted that governments were also charged to launch, within the next one year a campaign for systematic prohibition of the recruitment of child soldiers and abuse of girl children as wives and sex slaves in violation of their rights as enshrined in the African Charter on Rights of the Child.