African Union

First World Humanitarian Summit: African Union is going to Istanbul with its own commitments to the continent and its people

The key concerns that the AU will be raising in the upcoming World Humanitarian Summit include the need for redefining the international humanitarian system…

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia 19 May 2016 – The Head of the Humanitarian Affairs, Refugees and Displaced Persons Division in the Department of Political Affairs of the African Union Commission (AUC), Mr. Olabisi Dare, highlights the participation of the AU at the upcoming World Humanitarian Summit scheduled to take place on 23 -24 May 2016 in Istanbul, Turkey, during an interview granted to the Directorate of Information and Communication of the AUC, ahead of the event.

According to  Mr. Olabisi, the key concerns that the AU will be raising in the upcoming World Humanitarian Summit include the need for redefining the international humanitarian system which includes a reconfiguration of the entire system, “it being understood that the existing system predicated on Resolution 46 182 is not being faithfully implemented”. It is therefore in respect of this that the African Union is going to Istanbul with its own commitments to the continent and its people and has formulated a Common African Position on Humanitarian Effectiveness. One of the key things the commitment will anchor upon is on the primacy of the state, noting that the state has the primary responsibility to its own people - to satisfy their needs and take care of their vulnerabilities.

Mr. Olabisi explained that the African Union feels the state has to play the primary role of coordinating any and all humanitarian action that may take place within its territory. The state has a responsibility to guarantee the safety of both the humanitarian workers and humanitarian infrastructure and must alleviate the needs of its people, as well as maintain humanitarian space. “We note that the state has the capability and capacity in key areas such as the use of military assets in assisting humanitarian action.An example is the use of military forces in Liberia where the military was deployed to serve as the first line of defense to combat the spread of Ebola. We can’t overemphasize the role of the state in ensuring that humanitarian action and relief is dispensed in an effective manner and we see that this in itself will give effect to humanitarian action more readily on the continent” Mr. Olabisi further explained.

Mr. Olabisi indicated that, the African Union will make proposals for the reconfiguration of the International Humanitarian systems during the first World Humanitarian Summit (WHS). “We recognize that part of the solutions is the need for governments to play the primary role and a greater coordination role in order to fulfill the attributes of state in terms of its predictive nature and responsive nature and other attributes and this in itself is in of the keyrecommendations we are taking to the WHS as part of what Africa has committed itself to doing. We are hopeful that these recommendations will feature prominently in the outcomes”. He emphasized.

Mr. Olabisi underlined that the AU is calling for the re-engineering of Resolution 46182 to reflect Africa’s views, and the need to elevate the role of the state primarily to deliver to its people. “When you look at the Common Africa Position (CAP) you find out that the first pillar speaks to the privacy of the state while all the other 9 pillars speak the same in one form or the other” , he noted.

Mr. Olabisi said Africa will be calling for increased domestic and innovative resource mobilization in order to deliver and allocate more resources to humanitarian action. He further noted that, Africa is of course also cognizant of the dwindling resources from traditional donors and moreso, the bleeding of resources from Africa in the form of illicit financial flows and the like.

With regards to the outcome of the WHS, Mr. Olabisi mentioned that, Africa’s commitments goes beyond the WHS “but the summit give us an opportunity to discuss a paradigm shift in terms of the way we do things in the humanitarian field in Africa and to see that we can positively add to

the mitigation and alleviation the sufferings of our people when disasters and displacements occur”. He concluded that “our resolve is to emerge with an outcome that is workable, pragmatic, and empowering.  Africa has resolved nonetheless to begin to addressing its own problems using African solutions to African problems”.

African Union Commission News

Banjul+10: AUC and Partners to Commemorate 10 Year anniversary of African Youth Charter (AYC)

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia – 17 May 2016: The African Union Commission (AUC) Department of Human Resources, Science and Technology (HRST), in collaboration with the Islamic Republic of The Gambia and various development partners, will commemorate the 10 year anniversary of the African Youth Charter (AYC) between the 21^st and 25^th May, 2016.

Dubbed Banjul+10, with the theme; “10 Years Implementation of the African Youth Charter: Accelerating Youth Development in Africa”, the forum is intended to provide a fresh opportunity to evaluate the current status and promote the African youth development and empowerment agenda, within the framework of the Youth Charter and Agenda 2063.

The African Youth Charter (AYC) is a legal and political document which serves as a strategic framework for guiding efforts towards youth empowerment and development on the African continent. It emerged during the 7^th Ordinary Summit of the African Union (AU) that took place in Banjul, Gambia, in July 2006, with the aim of strengthening, reinforcing and consolidating efforts to empower youth in Africa through meaningful participation and equal partnership in decision making processes.

To date 42 countries are signatory to the African Youth Charter, and 38 have ratified it. Banjul+10,  will offer an opportunity to advance the agenda of youth empowerment and development in all Member States by ensuring, as a mechanism, mutual accountability to the obligations of the African Youth Charter, re-affirming commitments to the Decade of Youth (2009 – 2018) and its Plan of Action and promoting alignment to Africa’s Agenda 2063.

Ten years after the introduction and adoption of the AYC, the AUC is looking to assess the progress that has been made as well as evaluate the major challenges faced with regard to the implementation of the Charter, in an effort to collectively re-strategize and strengthen actions toward implementation (of the Charter) and further - realize the vision laid out in Africa’s Agenda 2063.

The forum will, among other things, present an avenue for AU Member States to conduct peer reviews of investments in the continent’s youth; provide a platform for intergenerational discourse and advocacy; showcase the creativity and innovativeness of African youth across various sectors; ensure and facilitate broad-based, inclusive consultations, etc.

Outcomes from Banjul+10 will inform the second AU Specialized Technical Committee (STC) meeting of AU Ministers of Youth, Culture and Sports and serve as a basis for 2017 ‘African Year of Harnessing Demographic Dividends for Accelerated Youth Empowerment.’ The event will also provide an opportunity to celebrate Africa Liberation Day in Banjul on the 25^th of May 2016.

Join the Twitter conversations on the 10 year anniversary of the African Youth Charter using our Twitter handle @AUYouthProgram and the hashtag #AUBanjulPlus10.

African Union Commission News

African Union Commission joins Young Africans in the Simulation of the African Union’s Summit in Tunis, Tunisia

Tunis, Tunisia -18 May 2016: As part of efforts to promote and accelerate the implementation of Agenda 2063, The African Union Commission (AUC) participated in the Simulation of the African Union’s Summit, held in Tunis, Tunisia from 14 to 15 May 2016. The AUC delegation that represented Her Excellency the Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma at the simulation exercise included Dr. Beatrice Njenga, Head of Education and Ag. Head of Youth Division as Head of delegation; Mr. Vukani Lumumba, Communications Advisor, Bureau of the AUC Chairperson; and Mr. Musa Frimpong, AU Youth Volunteer, Youth Division, HRST.  

The simulation exercise was the third edition organised by the Tunisian youth-led NGO, Model African Union as a platform to impute in young Africans the spirit of Pan Africanism, leadership skills and knowledge about the African Union and its decision making processes. The event offered the young Africans a unique opportunity to integrate, share ideas and experiences, and deliberate on issues of development across the African continent. The exercise brought together 170 young Africans from 10 different African countries representing all AU regions.      

The simulation exercise was held under the theme ''2016 - African Year of Human Rights with particular focus on Women rights'' with main objectives of involving African Youth and engaging them on their duty to promote and maintain unity, peace and development on the continent; establish a culture of shared responsibility and leadership; create awareness of the role, the organisation and importance of the AU at continental and international level and highlight the issue of economic, social and security policies facing the African Continent.

In her address, Dr. Beatrice Njenga on behalf Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma and the African Union Commission commended the organisers and participants of the simulation for taking practical action towards building the Africa they want. “Indeed, our superordinate goal is to ensure a united and “integrated, prosperous and peaceful Africa, driven by its own citizens and representing a dynamic force in the global arena”. Such an Africa ought to holistically address the needs and aspirations of young people who constitute over 65 per cent of our population.  This is what motivated Africa’s leaders to conduct worldwide consultations during 2013 with a simple question to all Africans here and in the diaspora; “what type of Africa would you want to see in the year 2063”. Dreaming long term has offered us a blue print for Africa’s development over the next 50 years or so. The product of those dreams has given the continent a new lease of life through the aspirations and implementation programme of Agenda 2063: The Africa We Want’ she added.

She added that “African Union Commission is committed to partner young Africans at any given opportunity such as this and ensuring that appropriate platforms are made available for you to be active players in all the key development activities in the continent. Such investments and opportunities in young Africans by the African union include internships; the African Union Youth volunteer Corps (AU-YVC) programme, and scholarships including the Mwalimu Nyerere and the Pan African University, Kwame Nkrumah Scientific Awards and Research Grants, celebration of African Youth Heroes among others.” She called for strengthening linkages among youth organisations across the continent, including African Union Clubs for strengthening intra-African collaboration.

The Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research of Tunisia, Mr. Chiheb Bouden in his address highlighted the importance of holding such events to provide opportunity for young Africans to understand the economic, political and social challenges facing the development of African as well as boost co-operation among African citizens. He challenged the youth to make good use of the platform to play their role as strategic population for the next phase of Africa’s development. The platform is good grounds for preparing African youth for productive life and diplomatic practice. He urged foreign students who constitute over 4,000 in the public and private sector in Tunisia to be ambassadors of Tunisia and other African countries in their countries of origin in other to accelerate the integration of the people of Africa.

The President and Founder of Model African Union, Mr. Hamza Ghadamsi expressed his appreciation to the AUC and other partners for their support for the simulation exercise over the past years. He added that “Africa does not lack strength because it has its passionate, energetic and creative youth. Young Africans needs to learn a sense of common interest and to forget the individualism and selfishness which impedes their development. And to learn and apply the true values of commitment, sense of responsibility and honesty at all levels and in all aspects of their lives towards building an integrated, peaceful and prosperous Africa.”

The AUC delegation during the two day event provided general guidance, met with key partners and was part of the jury Chaired by Dr. Beatrice Njenga that selected best delegates and chairpersons for the simulation exercise.  

Key personalities who attended the event include a Representative of the Tunisian Presidency, Representative for Nigeria Ambassador to Tunisia, Head of Mission for International Organization for Migration, Ms. Malek Lamine, Representative of the Friedrich Ebert Foundation, the main sponsors of the event, Miss Rola Badran, Representative of the Arab Institute for Human Rights andDr. Raymonde Agossou, Former Head of Youth Division, AUC.

For more information please contact:

Ms. Pamela Charidza| Youth Policy Technical Officer | Human resources, Science and Technology Department | African Union Commission I Tel: +215115517700 |Email: charidzap@africa-union

Business Tech News

Secret UK military plan to keep the ANC in power: report

By Staff WriterMay 16, 201697 Comments

Vice media claims it has uncovered a secret plan by Britain’s Ministry of Defence to keep the ANC in power in the next general elections.

The media group reported that Freedom of Information Requests it put through to the ministry revealed that a group of military officers from Britain’s Royal College of Defence Studies visited South Africa in 2015.

When further information was requested on the visit, the request was denied, saying that if the information was released, it “has the potential to adversely affect relations with the South African government”.

According to the information that was available, Vice reported that military officers were required to devise a medium-term strategy – with “concrete deliverables” – for the ANC to retain power at the next general election.

The UK Ministry of Defence told the publication that the visit was a “purely academic exercise” for internal purposes – “strictly for internal college study purposes, designed to develop course members’ skills in strategic analysis,” it said.

However, the group reported that the military officers’ itinerary – seen by Vice – involved activities outside the scope of a normal military visit.

This included meetings with various businesses, including the controversial Lonmin platinum mine group – which has ties to government through deputy president Cyril Ramaphosa – and briefings at the JSE and HSBC bank.

The report follows on the heels of weekend reports that the USA’s Central Intelligence Agencys (CIA) had a hand in having former president Nelson Mandela arrested and imprisoned for 28 years.

It was reported by the UK’s Sunday Times, citing a former CIA operative, that a tip-off from the agency led to Mandela’s arrest in 1962.

Responding to the reports, the ANC said in a statement that it confirmed their long-held suspicions that a so-called “third force” was at play in South African politics – and continues to do so today.

The Sunday Independent

Mbeki's return to fray is welcome

SUNDAYINDEPENDENT / 

15 May 2016 at 08:32am

By: Dumisani Hlophe

The ANC could benefit by engaging its former leadership in the public discourse, writes Dumisani Hlophe.

Johannesburg - Former president Thabo Mbeki is back in the domestic public discourse. He is not alone. There is a whole number of ANC leaders actively participating in the current public discourse.

This is a positive development. The ANC, the government and society stand to benefit from the plethora of experienced leaders.

There are indications that some in the current ANC leadership are irritated by the voices of former leaders.

ANC secretary-general Gwede Mantashe claimed this week that the current leadership was fixing the mess Mbeki “left”. This was in response to Mbeki’s call that ANC leadership should not “lie” to itself and the people.

ANC treasurer-general Zweli Mkhize wrote an article contradicting Mbeki’s stance on HIV/Aids. Last year, President Jacob Zuma inferred that former president Kgalema Motlanthe was “bored”, and that it was “cold outside the ANC”. This was in reaction to Motlanthe’s criticism of the alliance as substantively non-existent.

Part of criticism by the Rev Frank Chikane was met by suggestions that he must stick to the pulpit.

Mbeki’s return to the domestic public discourse should not be seen in isolation.

It raises the question of the role of former ANC leaders within the organisation and state affairs.

Individuals do not cease to be leaders when they leave official leadership positions. They enjoy experience, institutional memory, and wisdom acquired over time. They are, therefore, an asset that needs to be engaged.

There is wisdom and value in the likes of Professor Ben Turok, Joel Netshitenzhe, Mavuso Msimang and many others keeping a low profile outside official positions in the ANC.

The relationship between the current leadership and some leaders who are no longer in formal positions is relatively hostile.

There are a few possibilities in this regard:

First and foremost, the ANC has not institutionalised leadership and succession management. Rather it operates on internal regime change than leadership and succession management.

This is not merely a post-Mbeki phenomenon; it was the case in the run-up to Polokwane where Mbeki lost to Zuma.

The ANC’s five-year practice of internal regime change has sadly led those who lose at elective conferences into banishment.

In the absence of a long-term leadership plan and management, succession associated with elective conferences becomes vicious. It is hostile.

Rather than a sustainable matter of principle, the ANC’s approach to leadership is reduced to a five-year event, which limits the possibility of the outgoing leadership to work with any incoming leadership.

This is compounded by the ANC’s lack of internal mechanism to engage with leaders who are no longer in formal leadership positions.

It is unwise to say they must go back to their branches. While they do that, it is equally important to acknowledge the fact they acquired institutional knowledge and experience in the time they spent in formal leadership positions. Hence, it would be wiser to determine a mechanism where they can fruitfully be engaged.

The assertion that former leaders should not speak on current organisational challenges because some of these problems existed during their tenure is flawed. At all times, organisations have challenges. The difference is the degree or extent of the challenge. At no time, no matter how successful an organisation may be, is it perfect. Former leaders should be engaged.

The combination of hostility against election losers, lack of long-term leadership and succession management, and the lack of institutional engagement for former leaders, results in former leaders expressing their criticism through media platforms.

Mbeki was removed unceremoniously. Consequently, his utility on organisational and state matters were, and still are, lost to the ANC. Even after his presidency, he continues to work substantively on matters of Africa’s development.

But this is not seen as an ANC agenda, but a personal one, self-inspired by the quest to realise the dream of an African Renaissance.

This is an anomaly for a government that positions itself as a major development player in Africa’s affairs. In Singapore, there is a position of mentor minister, created in 2004 to ensure smooth political transition. While it’s currently dormant, the position was first held by the former prime minister after his retirement.

Without “ruling from the grave”, he mentored the then new prime minister on various aspects of government. There are three essential issues here: Firstly, Singapore had committed to a long-term plan, as the National Development Plan in South Africa seeks to do.

Secondly, the Singaporean political establishment recognised the role played by an outgoing leadership and sought to preserve its institutional knowledge and experience.

Thirdly, Singaporean leadership pursued development sustainability and continuity. Therefore, they have effectively worked on leadership development and succession management across political and administrative senior management.

It prioritised national development rather than internal regime change.

The ANC is battling to determine leadership and succession order. At the most, it seeks to control succession, and not to determine a leadership development programme. As a result, internal cohesion becomes weak. It is this internal weakness that is more dangerous to the ANC than a possible externally motivated “regime change”.

It is the ANC’s inability to create a leadership and succession programme that focuses on organisational development, growth, sustainability, and continuity that poses the biggest threat to the movement.

This leadership management partly entails the institutionalisation of the role of former leaders. In such an open society as South Africa, it is unwise to marginalise former leaders.

If the movement closes internal mechanisms of engagement, individuals will find alternative avenues. In the vastness of media platforms, such individuals will first be pursued by the media for their comments.

They will use social media platforms to voice their criticism against the current leadership. Unlike the opposition, their criticism carries more credibility.

Moreover, they are able to create their own institutions, and launch programmes from there.

So it is welcoming to see the Thabo Mbeki Foundation increasingly in the public domain and its patron getting immersed in domestic debates and reflections. This should be encouraged, and Mbeki should be engaged.

* The views expressed here are not necessarily those of Independent Media.

The Sunday Independent

SOWETAN LIVE

WATCH: Fists fly in Parliament as EFF MPs are evicted

By TMG Digital | May 17, 2016 | 

A brief brawl erupted between security and singing‚ defiant 

members of the EFF as they were dragged out of the National 

Assembly on Tuesday where President Jacob Zuma was due to 

answer questions.

Within minutes of proceedings getting underway‚ all decorum was thrown out of the window as the EFF went to war with speaker Baleka Mbete.

The EFF was adamant that Zuma‚ whom they describe as an “illegitimate president”‚ should not be allowed to address the chamber. Zuma smiled at the spectacle.



“We are asking you not to allow the president to speak here‚” said EFF leader Julius Malema‚ 
who insisted the president needed to be “rehabilitated”.

Mbete replied that she would not allow Malema to make any more speeches.

A cacophony of heckling‚ shouting and screaming filled the chamber. “Zuma is the one who
must go‚” “you can do anything you want to do … you can kill us‚ we are not scared of
anything … We won’t keep quiet‚” said EFF members. “Sergeant at arms tell Zuma to go.
Sergeant at arms tell Zuma to go‚” shouted somebody from the benches.

Parliamentary protection services members were pelted with objects as they gathered around
the EFF 

members‚ who broke into song‚ and grabbed hold of them.

Some of the protesters were physically dragged out of the National Assembly.

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African Union Report

Haiti will not be admitted as African Union Member State at next Summit in Kigali, Rwanda

The African Union Commission informs the public that Haiti will not be admitted as a Member State of the African Union (AU) at its next Summit to be held in Kigali, Rwanda, as erroneously reported by several media outlets.

According to Article 29.1 of the AU’s Constitutive Act, only African States can join the African Union.

Given the importance that the AU accords to the African Diaspora, it has developed strong cooperation with sister States in the Caribbean region and citizens of African descent around the world.

The AU was pleased to welcome Haiti’s President Michel Martelly and his Prime Minister Laurent Lamothe to its Summits in the past as Special Guests, and the AU had a high level delegation at the celebrations of the 200^th Anniversary of Haiti in Port-au-Prince, in 2004.   

The AU Commission has a Directorate of Citizens and Diaspora Organisations (CIDO), bestowed with the responsibility to facilitate direct peoples’ involvement through Civil Society Organisations from Africa or the Africa Diaspora that wish to interact with the African Union as the “sixth region” of Africa. The proposed 6^th Region made of the African Diaspora still awaits ratification by AU Member States.

Worthy of notice is a special Summit organized in Johannesburg, South Africa, in May 2012, to deepen the relationship between the AU and the African Diaspora. The conclusions of the Summit are in the process of being implemented.