AU annual summit has kicked off today in Addis-Ababa, Ethiopia
What you need to know:
- According to statement issued by the Vice President's Office, President John Magufuli could not attend the summit instead he is represented by his Vice-President Ms Samia Hassan.
Dar es Salaam. The 29th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the Heads of State and Government of the African Union (AU) commences today at the AU headquarters in Addis-Ababa, Ethiopia.
According to statement issued by the Vice President's Office, President John Magufuli could not attend the summit instead he is represented by his Vice-President Ms Samia Hassan.
Ms Hassan is accompanied by Foreign Affairs Minister Dr. Augustine Mahiga, Minister for labour, Empowerment, Elderly, Youth, Women and Children for the Revolutionary Government of Zanzibar, Ms Maudline Castico and other Tanzanian government officials.
Among other things, the summit focuses on discussing various issues related to the solidarity and security among member states in the African continent particularly in South Sudan, Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo- DRC and Libya.
In addition, the leaders will discuss the security situation in some countries that have been affected by Nigeria's Boko Haram Islamic group, including Niger, Chad and Cameroon.
The leaders will also discuss in detail the establishment of a free trade zone within the continent, in a bid to promote trade relationship between member states, investments, eliminating commercial barriers and reducing the dependence of external markets.
Other issues that will be discussed by the leaders is the Union's budget: the main initiative on action measures for preventing conflicts in Africa by 2020, improvements in the UN Security Council and institutional improvements in the AU workings.
This Annual Summit is themed “Harnessing Demographic Divident Through Investments in the Youth.”
