The 32nd Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the African Union, which comprises the Heads of State and Governments of all African countries, was held under the theme: “Year of Refugees, Returnees and Internally Displaced Persons: Towards Durable Solutions to Forced Displacement in Africa”, on Sunday and Monday (February 10-11) in Addis Ababa. The Assembly is the culmination of the Union’s statutory meetings and it was preceded by the meetings of the Executive Council of Foreign Ministers and of the Permanent Representatives Committee.
The Assembly heard the reports of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission Mr. Moussa Faki Mahamat on the Implementation of the Institutional Reform of the AU and the Annual Report on the activities of the Union and its organs. The Heads of State and Government was briefed on the Outcome of the Leadership in Health Financing High Level Meeting by President Kagame of Rwanda; and heard reports on the Status of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) from President Mamadou Issoufou of Niger; and on progress achieved with regard to Agenda 2063 from President Alassane Dramane Ouattara of Cote d’Ivoire.
The outgoing chairperson of the Assembly, President Kagame of Rwanda, welcomed the new leaders of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Felix Tshisekedi, and of Madagascar, Andry Rajoelina, as well as commending Guinea-Bissau, Botswana, and Zambia for signing the instrument for the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) during the Summit. He encouraged those signatories who have not yet ratified to do so, at the earliest opportunity. President Kagame said the re-launched Peace Fund stood at $89 million dollars, with 50 Member States contributing, adding: “This demonstrates the force of our collective resolve and ability”.
During his year as chairperson of the Union, President Kagame initiated various reforms for the AU, providing for performance enhancement mechanisms including sanctions for the non-payment of contributions by member states, provisions for the termination of appointment for the Chairperson and the Deputy Chairperson of the African Union Commission and performance evaluation of its senior leadership. The reforms being carried out also include the transformation of NEPAD Planning and Coordinating Agency into the African Union Development Agency (AUDA). This is tasked to coordinate and execute priority regional and continental projects to promote regional integration, to strengthen the capacity of African Union Member States and regional bodies as well as advance knowledge-based advisory support. Its mandate also includes a full range of resource mobilization. It will serve as the continent’s technical interface with all of Africa’s development stakeholders and development partners. Another aspect of the reform is the strengthening of the African Peer Review Mechanism to track implementation and oversee monitoring and evaluation in key governance areas.
As the 32nd Ordinary Session marked the end of Rwanda’s chairpersonship of the Union, President Kagame handed over the chair to President Abdul Fattah el-Sisi of Egypt. President el-Sisi urged Africa’s leaders to encourage trade and investment between African countries as well as expand job opportunities for youth. This, he said, was one way to create economically integrated Africa. He said he would work to promote the unity of African states in the fight against terrorism and extremism which he identified as one of the biggest threats in the continent, and underlined his determination to focus on the fight against armed groups on the continent and the rebuilding efforts of countries recovering from conflict. He said: “Terrorism remains a cancer that affects African nations and steals the dreams of our people and we must identify and combat those who fund terrorism activities on the continent,” He said that he would prioritize mediation and “preventive diplomacy” as one of the key mechanisms for promoting peace and security.
…the major decisions of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government…
The 32nd Ordinary Session of the Assembly concluded on Monday this week (February 11) adopting a series of major decisions and declarations. The theme of the Summit, the Year of Refugees, fitted closely with Ethiopia’s new refugee law, and the Summit took note of the fact that Ethiopia’s new refugee law provides for one of the most progressive refugee policies in Africa and more beyond. It allows refugees to obtain work permits, access education and health services, obtain drivers’ licenses, legally register life events such as births and marriages and opens up access to national financial services, such as banking, and will certainly enhance the lives of refugees and host communities alike. Ethiopia currently hosts close to a million refugees.
On aspects of peace and security in the Horn of Africa region, the AU Assembly commended the Federal Government of Somalia for the continued progress made in implementing the Somali Transition Plan, while also welcoming AMISOM’s critical role in degrading the capacities of Al-Shabaab and other terrorist groups. The Assembly paid tribute to the AMISOM Troop- and Police-Contributing Countries for their immense sacrifices in Somalia. On South Sudan, the Assembly commended the South Sudanese stakeholders for the leadership demonstrated since the signing of the revitalized agreement and called on opposition groups that have not yet signed the agreement to do so and without any preconditions. The Assembly also welcomed the commitments of President Ismail Omar Guelleh of Djibouti and President Isaias Afwerki of Eritrea to normalize their relations within framework of the relevant Peace and Security Council Communiqués and UN Resolution 2446 (2018).
African leaders as well as UN Secretary-General Guterres praised Prime Minister Dr. Abiy’s bold initiatives for regional peace and security. The Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Moussa Faki, noting the progress made across Africa on aspects of peace, security and democracy, also acknowledged the “Wind of Hope” as evidenced in practice by the rapprochement between Ethiopia and Eritrea, and its dividend for regional peace and security. UN Secretary-General Guterres, citing Ethio-Eritrean reconciliation, said firmly that there was a “Wind of Hope” blowing in various parts of Africa and the rapprochement between Ethiopia-Eritrea was a bright example on the African Horizon. He said, “The reconciliation is having a positive effect throughout the Horn of Africa,” adding: “We see negotiations between Djibouti and Eritrea, and we see a reconciliation between Eritrea and Somalia that has already taken place.” African leaders described Dr. Abiy Ahmed’s bold initiatives for regional peace and security as exemplary.
On the reform of the United Nations Security Council, the Assembly welcomed the growing acceptance of the legitimacy of the Common African Position. It also welcomed the full endorsement for the Ezulwini Consensus and the Sirte Declaration shown by a number of Interest Groups and Member States from elsewhere during the Intergovernmental Negotiations at the United Nations in 2018. It reiterated the critical need for full representation of Africa in the United Nations Security Council.
In terms of AU finance, the Assembly mandated the Commission to provide technical support to Member States to accelerate implementation of the 0.2% levy on imports; to facilitate the involvement of the Committee of Fifteen Finance Ministers (F15) in the annual audit report; to organize a retreat for the F15 to assess mechanisms for its working methods and to consider modalities on how to accelerate implementation of decisions on the ‘Financing of the Union’; as well as strengthen the Secretariat of the ‘Financing of the Union’ ‘to provide adequate support for both the F15 and Member States.
On the Post-2020 Partnership with the European Union, the Assembly stressed the need to ensure that Africa speaks with one voice in the various platforms of partnership with the EU. It requested the Commission to ensure consistency between the Post-Cotonou Agreement and the Post-2020 Continent-to-Continent Partnership, so that continental priorities, as articulated in Agenda 2063 and other related instruments, were achieved.
As regards to the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), the Assembly requested the African Union Ministers responsible for trade to: submit Schedules of Tariff Concessions and Schedules of Specific Commitments on Trade in Services, in line with agreed modalities, to the July 2019 and January 2020 Sessions of the Assembly, respectively, for adoption. It also called for conclusion to the negotiations on Investment, Competition Policy and Intellectual Property Rights, and for draft legal texts to be submitted to the January 2021 Session of the Assembly.
The Assembly also heard the report of the 28th Summit of the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) and decided that it should be an Organ of the Africa Union in line with Article 5 (2) of the Constitutive Act. It welcomed the peer review Reports of Cote d’Ivoire and Mozambique and encouraged both countries to take into account the observations of Member States as well as the recommendations in reports on development and implementation of National Action Programs.
With regard to climate change, the Assembly urged parties to the Paris Agreement to recognize the special circumstances and needs of African countries, in line with the relevant and previous decisions adopted by the Conference of the Parties. It called upon the incoming presidency of the Conference of the Parties to continue with these consultations. It also urged developed countries to continue to scale up mobilized climate finance towards achieving the 2020 finance goal through private and public funds, and building on the needs of developing countries and enhance the provisions of predictable and sustainable finance to deliver on the US$100 billion required annually. The Assembly also encouraged African countries to ratify the Kigali Amendment of the Montreal protocol as a vehicle to strengthen efforts to tackle climate change.
…Prime Minister Dr. Abiy’s reception…
Prime Minister Dr. Abiy Ahmed hosted a Gala Dinner Reception in honour of the Heads of State and Government at the newly inaugurated Skylight Hotel on Saturday (February 9). He said Ethiopia’s reforms were deeply rooted in the philosophy of Medemer, which, he said, offered a synergy at the continental level. Medemer had three interlinked pillars: a vibrant democracy, economic vitality, regional integration and openness to the world.”, and it offered a key for service to others and a means to ensure peace, development, and prosperity for the continent.
Dr. Abiy said Ethiopia had embraced a great vision and embarked on bold reforms, improving the political environment, opening up its political space, releasing all political prisoners, inviting exiled armed opposition groups to be part of the political process and ushering in a Wind of Hope, harmony in the Horn region, as a continental model for peace, normalcy, and stability. The country was undergoing multifaceted, multidimensional institutional reforms to enhance and refurbish ease of doing business in the areas of Telecommunications, logistics, energy, aviation, railways, and industrial parks.
The Prime Minister told the Heads of State and Government, other dignitaries and invited guests that Ethiopia was embracing change, and this transformation was giving hope to millions of a more harmonious and prosperous future for the country and the region.
Dr. Abiy thanked the AU staff for their commendable work and unwavering commitment to a prosperous Africa. AU Commission Chairperson Moussa Faki said Dr. Abiy had demonstrated his full support for the AU’s mission, for a prosperous Africa, a dynamic force in global arena.
…a commemorative statue of Emperor Haile Selassie I is unveiled…
A commemorative statue of Emperor Haile Selassie I was unveiled on Sunday (February 10) at the African Union Headquarters in Addis Ababa. The unveiling took place in the presence of the African Union Chairperson, Moussa Faki; the President of Ghana, Nana Addo Akofo, Ethiopia’s Prime Minister, Dr. Abiy Ahmed; the outgoing Chairman of the African Union President Kagame of Rwanda; Ethiopia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr. Workneh Gebeyehu, representatives from the former Imperial family and the Rastafarian community, AU officials and members of the diplomatic corps and other invited guests.
AU Commission Chairperson, Moussa Faki, said the statue recognized the Emperor’s contribution to Africa’s liberation and unity leading up to the founding of the Organization of African Unity in 1963. Earlier, Deputy Chairperson, Ambassador. Kwesi Quartey, noted Addis Ababa was Africa’s diplomatic capital and symbol of Pan-Africanism, and extended the AU Commission’s appreciation to the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia and the people of Ethiopia, for their commitment to the AU.
The 3-meter high statue, cast in bronze, shows the Emperor making his signature hand sign with the thumb and index finger in a triangular shape. The statue reflects the history of African liberation, integration, and his part in the evolution of Africa’s development. Emperor Haile Selassie played a major leadership role in the establishment of what was then the Organization of African Unity (OAU). Together with Ghanaian President Kwame Nkrumah, Emperor Haile Selassie promoted Pan-Africanism and African Unity and spearheaded the creation of the Organization of African Unity on 25 May 1963.
The statue is the second to be erected inside the AU Headquarters along with one commemorating Ghana’s first leader, Kwame Nkrumah, another champion of pan-Africanism, which was erected in 2012. Haile Selassie’s statue was designed by Bekele Mekonnen, an Ethiopian sculptor. 
