Ninth Ordinary Session of the African Union
Accra, July 1, GNA - The 9th Ordinary Session of the African Union (AU) opened in Accra, Ghana, on Sunday.
President John Agyekum Kufuor, President of AU; President Alpha Oumar Konare, President of the African Commission, and Dr Ahmed Esmat abd al-Meguid, Secretary General of the Arab League, addressed the opening session.
Dr Rose Asha-Mirigo, United Nations Deputy Secretary-General, read Secretary-General Mr Ban Ki-Moon's speech while China formally presented a miniscule of the new AU complex it has promised to build for the Union at Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
A number of African Heads of State and Government are in Accra for the Summit. They include President Abdelaziz Bouteflika of Algeria; Prime Minister P. Mosisili of Lesotho and Dr Isatou Njie, Vice President of The Gambia; President Francois Bozize of Central African Republic; President Abdolaye Wade of Senegal; President Pedro Pireriz of Cape Verde; President Levi Mwanawasa of Zambia and Deputy Prime Minister Pee Pee Jaun Ahmed of Mauritius.
Also present are President Ravaloma Nana of Madagascar and President Blaise Compaore of Burkina Faso; President Umar Yar-Adua of Nigeria; President Faure Nyasingbe of Togo and President Sidi Mohammed Ould Cheikh Abdullahi of Mauritania.
The others are President Sassou Ngueso of Congo Brazzaville; President Yayi Boni of Benin; President Teodoro Obiang Mbasogo of Equatorial Guinea; Prime Minister Absalom Dlamini of Swaziland; President Iddris Debbie of Chad and President Mohammed Abdelaziz of Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic.
The rest are President Ahmed Mohammed Sambi of Comoros Island; President Pierre Nkurunziza of Burundi; President Moi Kabaki of Kenya; President Jakaya Kikwete of Tanzania and President Omar Bongo of Gabon.
Fifty-two African Heads of State and Government or their representatives are in Ghana to participate in the Session from July 1 to July 3 2007.
The Summit is discussing the creation of a union government for Africa.
A section of Africa Heads of State and Government at the AU
Summit
President John Agyekum Kufuor, Chairman of Africa Union (AU),
arriving at the Accra International Conference Centre (AICC)
for AU Simmit.
A section of Africa Heads of State and Government at the AU
Summit
President John Agyekum Kufuor, Chairman of Africa Union (AU),
acknowledging cheers from the crowd
African Heads of State and Government going for lunch at the
State Banquet Hall
Group picture of Africa Heads of State and Government
One Over Fifty-two" the only African Woman President, Mrs
Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, President of Liberia, on her way to
have lunch
Vice President Aliu Mahama of Ghana on his way to lunch
A section of Africa Heads of State and Government at the AU
Summit
Rev. Jesse Jackson from the U.S. right, laughs as he talks with Republic of Congo President Denis Sassou Nguesso
Algeria's President Abdelaziz Bouteflika (L) talks with Egypt's President Hosni Mubarak at the 9th African Union Summit in Accra July 1, 2007.
Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi speaks at the University of Ghana in Accra June 30, 2007. Declaring himself a "soldier for Africa", Gaddafi called on the continent on Saturday to unite under a single government so it could compete in a globalised world.
Ghana's President John Kufuor (L), Africa Union Commission Chairman Alpha Oumar Konare and Equatorial Guinea's President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo (R) attends the 9th African Union Summit in Accra July 1, 2007.
Algeria's President Abdelaziz Bouteflika (L) is welcomed by Ghana's Finance Minister Kwadwo Baah Wiredu as he arrives for the African Union (AU) summit meeting in Accra June 30, 2007.
Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe, second from left, arrives at a rally organized by supporters in Accra, Ghana Sunday, July 1, 2007.
Nigeria's President Umaru Yar'Adua waves
Benin's President Thomas Boni Yayi waves
Rwanda's President Paul Kigame
South African President Thabo Mbeki, left, is greeted by Ghanaian officials as he arrives at the African Union summit in Accra,
Senegal's President Abdoulaye Wade
Republic of Congo President Denis Sassou-Nguesso
Libya's President Muammar Gaddafi (L) and Guinea's Prime Minister Lansana Conte talk during the African Union summit
Togo's President Faure Gnassingbe attends the African Union summit
Jesse Jackson (L) talks with Ghana's President John Kuffuor during the ninth summit of African union in Accra July 3, 2007
Ghanaian President and Head of the African Union, John Kufuor (R), talks with Libyan leader Moamer Kadhafi (C) and the Leader of the African Union Commission Malian President Alpha Oumar Konare, at the International Conference Centre in Accra, Ghana, on the third and last day of the 9th edition of the Head of State and Government Summit of the African Union. African leaders were struggling Tuesday to agree on a road map for a closer union at the end of a summit that exposed deep rifts over how fast they should move towards integration
