President Rupiah Banda is tomorrow expected to join 50 other African Heads of State and government in Addis Ababa for a three-day 14th Ordinary Session of the African Union (AU). According to the programme released by the Zambian Mission here, President Banda is among Heads of State and government scheduled to address the summit.
Mr. Banda is particularly expected as chairperson of the International Conference of Great Lakes Region, to report to the summit on the progress made so far from the time he took over the chairmanship. The President is also expected to be among ten Heads of State and government expected to attend the committee of ten on the United Nations Reforms.
Zambia is a member of the committee of 10 tasked to see how best Africa can increase its representation at the UN Security Council. Currently Africa is only represented on the Council by Libya, Garbon, Uganda and Nigeria. Mr. Banda will also attend the 12th summit of the Africa Pear Review Mechanism forum.
On the sidelines of the summit, President Rupiah Banda is expected to hold meetings with Professor Luis Marianno Joubertt Mate of Venezuela among others.
Meanwhile, the 16th ordinary session of the executive council comprising Ministers of Foreign Affairs opened in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia this morning with call for decisive action towards the improvement of the living standards of the African people.
Foreign Affairs Minister Kabinga Pande who arrived here last night was among African Foreign Affairs Ministers attending the meeting held at the AU building.
In his opening statement, Chairperson of the AU Commission Jean Ping said time has come for African leaders to strengthen organs and institutions of the AU to eradicate poverty among the people of Africa. Mr. Ping said it was the duty of African leaders to strengthen and empower the AU organs and institutions in order for the body to effectively carry out its mandate of improving the living standards of the African people.
He also called on African leaders to find lasting solutions to conflicts that have rocked most parts of the continent. The AU Commission Chairperson also emphasized the need for peace and security on the continent saying this is the only way Africa can improve the living standards of the people.
And officially opening the meeting, Council Chairperson who is also Libyan Foreign Affairs Minister, Mousa Kousa called on member states to expedite the process of transforming the AU into the United States of Africa. He said once transformed into the United States of Africa, the AU will be an effective tool to carrying out the goals of Africa.
Mr. Kousa also called on member states to honour their contributions to the Union. He said the outstanding arrears are a source of concern to the AU. The meeting is expected to adopt the agenda for the Heads of State and government summit slated for 31st January to 2nd February, 2010.
The Heads of State and government summit is expected to unpack the theme of the summit which has been widely viewed as one of the areas with the potential to enhance the development of the continent. The summit is also expected to discuss the report of the commission on unconstitutional changes of governments before considering adopting various reports, among them, the peace and security situation in Africa.
In addition, the summit will discuss the report of the ministerial meeting on the Rome statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC). The summit will also launch the AU flag and present awards to two African scientists who won the continental science prizes before climaxing into the 14th ordinary session of the heads of state and government summit.
ZANIS
God what have we done to deserve this kind of a president??:((
very soon some one will start seeing his wife….Danny kaya has said it…bakakwafwa.:x:x
but this man enjoys flying…..
:othey are going by road…he wants to see the big tree were he used to play with his Ancestors…kanitundila clan.
Uyo!!!:o. Anything to get him out of the office!! At the rate he is going, RB will one day volunteer to escort deported illegal immigrants from Zambia to their home countries, each one of them! Just to get out of the office. Ikalako panshi, we munthu we!
The Frequent Flyer on the move again.His 4th trip in the month of January only!Catch him if you can….
It would be interesting if somebody could produce a chart on the number of international trips of the current Zambian president compared to those of his predecessors. I would have thought that attending an AU meeting would not cause any sort of controversy whatsoever and would be against Zambia’s interests if the president failed to attend?
:(( My Tax Money Gone Again!!!!!!!
He will be killing one bird with 2 stones. Remember he attended a University in Ethiopia. With this talk of Degreed Pres he is just wants to make sure his former University still remembers him
#2, I volonteer for that task….do you have Thandiwe’s number?
Someone told me that even when RB was veep, he was rarely at the office. Some documents would taken to his house for signing and that he would tell his subbordinates that he is old and tired….anasebenza kale.
Shuwa ba mudala! Teti ba teke ko amatako panshi? Kwati ba li ba suba ama futa ya mbwa ku makasa! (As my late mother would say, whenever I was missing from home for just a few hours) [-x
# shimwalule that would be good. I wonder if he has been worse then his predecessors or not. One thing is for sure though the public think he has overdone it. However i have tried to look at it from another perspective. He was a diplomat for many years and probably feels comfortable and competent in the arena of international relations. Go to Mwanawasa he believed in the rule of law and when his story is told it will have a lot to do with law. Come FTJ he was a unionist , his life had a lot to do with the common man. and this explains the selling of council prices at give away prices . a desk for vendors at state house and even his trips and stopover at markets. Kaunda was a former teacher and paid a lot of emphasis on education
From Mozambique to Angola then 4 days in Zambia and off agian to Ethopia…Wow.. the most traveled tourist of Zambia.
From Mozambique to Angola then 4 days in Zambia and off again to Ethopia…Wow.. the most traveled tourist of Zambia.
What worries me about this kind of blogging is that when one blogger starts off with a wrong angle everyone joins in. No one wants to analyse the significance of the trip for instance, or the subject matter of the A.U. and Zambia context. I think we need to re quire a degree as a minimmum qualification for any blogger
This particular trip is essential in view of chairmanship of great lakes and membership of committee of 10.
…A lot of the other trips that have been taken in the past have seemed non essential.
this is a security threat. u cant hav a commander n chief who is always n the air. one day fikapena
# 17 Mwanguni..hahahahaha!!….lollllll!!!
When are they going to implement they these meetings, One wonders.Arrested development
THE ADVENTURES OF RUPIAH BWEZANI BANDA, look out for this book in your nearest bookstores.
:)>-:)>-
Guys this is an AU summit!! I don’t know the other travels. Welcom Mr. Presedant you are our guest!!!!!!