President Kufuor confers with AU officials

Accra, Oct. 4, GNA- President John Agyekum Kufuor, Chairman of the African Union (AU), has met with Professor Alpha Oumar Konare, Chairman of the AU Commission and other high ranking officials of the commission on the first of a two-day official visit to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. A statement in Accra signed by Mr. Andrew Awuni, Press Secretary to the President and Presidential Spokesperson, said Prof. Alpha Oumar Konare briefed President Kufuor on a number of pertinent issues that the Commission was currently involved in.

It said four major issues were raised including the actions taken so far after the Accra Summit towards achieving a continental government.

President Kufuor was also briefed on the audit process currently going on to strengthen the Commission and the matter of electing a new President and Commissioners for the AU at the next Summit in January, 2008.

The statement also said the EU-AU Meeting in Lisbon, Portugal, scheduled for December, this year, also came up for discussion and the AU reiterated its position that all African countries be invited to the meeting.

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown has said he would not attend if Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe was present.

It said the peace and security in the Darfur Region of Sudan was also discussed during which the contribution of the Libyan Leader Muamar Al Gaddafi was lauded.

The statement said rebels groups in the Darfur region were expected to meet in Libya on October 27 for a special conference convened by the Libyan Leader for what many consider would be the breakthrough meeting for the resolution of the conflict.