AU Member States embark on peace walk

Member States of the African Union (AU) in Ghana on Friday embarked on a peace walk, to mark the 50th Anniversary of the Union.

The walk, which ended at the Liberation Circle with a bonfire, to symbolize the unity of the African Continent, brought together High Commissioners and Ambassadors of the various African states in the country.

Mr Edward Doe Adjaho, Speaker of Parliament, who led the walk, said it was inspiring to have all African countries participating in the peace walk and that the spirit of Africa was rising in unity.

He said it was imperative to preserve the spirit of Africa, particularly the role the founding fathers had played in the formation of the Organization of African Unity (OAU) and now AU.

Mr Adjaho said “as Africans stands to develop the continent, we must unite, and the unity must reflect on the past, present and the future of the AU.”

Mrs. Pavelyn Tenclai Musaka, Zimbabwe High Commissioner to Ghana said the forefathers of the AU had achieved their goal and that the present and coming generation must also aim at developing the African continent.

She said: “When the minds of Africans are one, we can make it in terms of peace, unity and development.”

In a speech read by Mr Victor Moffat, a member of the Anniversary Planning Committee on behalf of Professor Atukwei Okai, Secretary-General of the Pan Africans Writters Association (PAWA), said African leadership is expected to exhibit a clear political vision, a sense of direction and the courage to act in the interest of the long-beleaguered African people.

He said Africans were expecting their leaders to show a strong commitment to economic and political integration and that after the attainment of political independence, “most of the hopes of our people were yet to be realized. We must take a stand and not to give up.”