Preparations for the African Union 33rd Heads of States and Government Summit which will be held under the theme; ‘’Silencing the Guns: Creating Conducive Conditions for Africa’s Development”, have started in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

This follows the official opening of the 39th Ordinary Session of the Permanent Representative Committee, a committee that deliberates on draft reports and prepares the agenda for the Executive Council that later feeds into the work of the Summit for Heads of States and Governments.

Zambia’s Permanent Representative to the African Union, Emmanuel Mwamba confirmed the development and said this year’s Summit is slated for 9th to 10th February, 2020.

Mr Mwamba stated that since January 13th 2020, the PRC has been adopting various sub-Committee Reports preparing for the Summit.

And speaking during the official opening, Permanent Representative Committee Chairperson Osama Mahmoud Abdelkhalek said some of the key achievements recorded by Africa in 2019 where the establishment and operationalisation of the African Continental Free Trade Area that seeks to increase trade relations among African Countries.

He said Africa was committed to attaining integration through successive protocols such as the free movement of people for sustainable development.

Mr. Abdelkhalek further said Africa in 2019 come up with mechanism to minimize conflict such as the establishment of the Peace and AU stand-by-force to respond to conflicts within the continent.

He said eliminating civil and military conflict in Africa was a sure way of guaranteeing development on the continent.

And AUC Deputy Chairperson, Thoman Kwesi Quartey, said the African Union Commission is still undergoing reforms in order to have a smaller but effective commission that would respond to the needs of Member states.

He further said stringent measures had been put up to ensure that there was budget compliance, transparency and value for money.

This is according to a statement issued by First Secretary-Press and Tourism at the Zambian Embassy in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia Inutu Mwanza.

Churches in Zambia have called on the government of the country to declare a food crisis to unlock international help.

The President of the Zambia Conference of Catholic Bishops, the Bishop of Chipata, the Rt Revd George Lungu, said that declaring a crisis was the first step in addressing it.

“We believe as a Catholic Church that it would not only be wise but necessary for the government to send a very clear message — not only to the people in Zambia but the world at large — acknowledging the problem,” he said.

“And we are not saying that when we say there is a problem, it is the fault of one person or another; of one ministry or another in government. These are things that occur because of climate change because of unfavourable weather patterns. The only responsible way to address the situation is not to bury our heads in the sand. We must face the truth, and the truth is that people need help.”

The Zambian government has rejected the call.
It said that it has enough supplies of grain.

The UN has issued a warning, however, about the growing threat of hunger in the west and south of the country, owing to prolonged droughts.

The general secretary of the United Church of Zambia, the Revd Dr Peggy Mulambya-Kabonde, told the World Council of Churches: “Things are so bad in the south and west of Zambia we have to pray to God to have mercy on us.”

It is feared that at least 2.3 million people are facing food shortages during the “lean” season, until March 2020.

The opposition UPND says it is concerned about the outbreak of a virus in China and its possible spread to Zambia.

“We would like to appeal to the Government of the Republic of Zambia and the general populous to take keen interest in the outbreak of the ‘mysterious’ and deadly new corona-virus in the Chinese City of Wuhan fast spreading to other cities like Beijing,” UPND Spokesman Charles Kakoma has said.

“With the United States of America (USA) screening for the Wuhan virus outbreak at 3 major airports, we urge the Zambian government to urgently look into this matter and commence screening points across all our major or high risk borders,”Mr Kakoma said.

“We are of the view that seeking quick remedial interventions by the Ministry of Health in collaborations with the Centre for Infectious Diseases Research in Zambia (CIDRZ) would help prevent the new corona-virus from being transmitted by those travelling from Wuhan City to Zambia.”

Mr Kakoma said the UPND believes that Government should take keen interest in this important issue as failure to do so would result in loss of lives in Zambia as the “Wuhan virus is very deadly.

“And owing to the rapidity at which the disease is said to be spreading, we believe that it would be prudent for the Government to engage major stakeholders and look into this matter and furnish our people with the symptoms of the deadly new corona virus and the possible primary prevention steps.”

“Further, we wish to appeal to the Zambian Embassy in China to furnish the Zambian people both in that country and here on whether there are any modalities that have been put in place to ensure that Chinese nationals intending to travel to Zambia or Zambians traveling back home are thoroughly screened to ensure that the disease is contained,” he said.

“Lastly, we pray that the Zambian government shall immediately put the nation on an immediate health alert in relation to the “Wuhan” new corona virus or risk exposing the nation to a health hazard. Prevention is better than cure.”

President Edgar Lungu has said that there is a need for Zambia and Angola to actualize the signed agreements in an effort to cement relations, adding that the two countries must implement the signed agreements, saying that not much has so far been implemented.

Speaking when he met Angola’s Ambassador to Zambia Azevedo Xavier Francisco who paid a courtesy call on him at State House on Monday, President Lungu said Zambia will continue to work towards boosting the cooperation that it shares with Angola and assured the Angolan government of Zambia’s utmost cooperation.

“Over the years Zambia has interacted with Angola with the two leaders of the two countries having cross-pollinated ideas at political party level and Government to Government on how to enhance this cooperation,” said the President.

President Lungu expressed concern at the slow implementation of signed cooperation agreements in various social and economic sectors between Zambia and Angola adding that there was need to expedite implementation.

“Some agreements have been signed and ceremonies have been held and it is time we moved to the next stage which is implementation. Of course, we have done some implementation but not much. With the road from Shangombo district in Western Province into Angola, we have not done enough. With your coming, l think that we will implement as much as possible,” adds the President.

The President adds that the people of Zambia were craving for the cementing of cooperation between Zambia and Angola and noted that the border between the two countries is expansive.

“But we also share a common culture and l do not see why we cannot collaborate. Hence, we need to provide a good road network to facilitate trade between Zambia and Angola. We also need the railway line coming from Angola into Zambia, and from Zambia into the Democratic Republic of Congo for us to have triangle trade,” added the President.

Earlier, Angola’s Ambassador to Zambia Mr. Azevedo Xavier Francisco informed the President that the Government of the Republic of Angola would like to boost the cooperation that exists between Zambia and Angola.

Mr Francisco said the Angolan government would like to expedite the implementation of all the agreements of cooperation which were signed between the two countries to actualise them.

The Ambassador acknowledged that Zambia and Angola were neighbouring countries whose people shared the same language and culture hence the need for the two countries to cooperate.

“We have specific areas of cooperation such as petroleum and oil, mineral resources, road and railway transport, salt and fish including the health sector among others,” said Mr Francisco through an interpreter Jose Luis.

The Ambassador added that the private sector in Angola was willing to fund the road and railway projects and only required the political will of the two leaders of Angola and Zambia.

The meeting was attended by Foreign Affairs Minister Joseph Malanji, Presidential Affairs Minister Freedom Sikazwe, Special Assistant to the President for Press and Public Relations Isaac Chipampe, Special Assistant to the Presidents for Economic and Development Affairs, and Political Hibeene Mwiinga and Chris Zumani Zimba respectively.
Angolan officials who attended the meeting were Alexander Lucas Tchilumbu and Joao Sergio de Andre Silva.

President Edgar Lungu has called upon the international community to help address the current effects of floods being experienced in some parts of the country.

President Lungu made the call when Japanese Ambassador Ryuta Mizuuchi called on him at State House yesterday.

During the meeting with the Japanese Ambassador Ryuta Mizuuchi, President Lungu expressed concern at the heavy rains which had wreaked havoc in some parts of the country adding that the heavy rains being experienced in the country has both the negative and the positive effects on the Zambian people.

The President said Government is seeking to engage cooperating partners to partner with them in addressing the effects of floods in the country.

The President noted that he is hopeful that the Japanese Ambassador will be able to share his expertise in addressing the effects of floods owing to the experience he has had from his country.

“The heavy rains will have a great impact on food production as well as the energy sector, it is also regrettably destroying infrastructure and crops in some parts of the country hence the need for government’s intervention in the situation,” said the President.

The President said this when Japanese Ambassador to Zambia, Ryuta Mizuuchi paid a courtesy call on him at State House on Monday.

In the same meeting, the Japanese Ambassador expressed sympathy to the people in flood affected areas and hoped for the situation to be reversed soon.

Mr Mizuuchi said he is hopeful that he will collaborate well with President Lungu and the Zambian government to strengthen the already existing Zambia- Japan relations.