The AU Summit was held on 31 January – 2 February, in Addis, Ethiopia. Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete has been elected the new chairman of the Africa Union (AU) for one year and thus takes over from Ghana’s President John Kufuor. Moreover, he has stipulated that “he wants to build up a safe, sustainable, and peaceful Africa free of violence and diseases and lay the foundations for a long term economic development“
The election of a new African Union Commission has been awaited with anticipation, since it had been postponed at the last AU Summit for there were no consensual candidate to take the succession of the Alpha Oumar Konare. After an intense lobbying campaign from Gabon, Jean Ping – current Gabonese vice Prime Minister – managed to secure the support of all the sub-regional blocks apart from Southern Africa which was opposing its nomination. Along with him a new deputy Chairperson was nominated, Kenyan Erastus Mwencha as well as seven out of the eight Commissioners, the Commission for rural economy and agriculture that should be elected at an extraordinary meeting of the Council of Ministers billed for Arusha, Tanzania, in the first week of April 2008. Four of the Commissioners were already part of the previous Commission and have been reelected. The new Commission seems to have a more management oriented profile than the previous one, which might also leave more political space for the AU Chairperson. The challenge for Jean Ping as a new Chairperson of the Commission will to impose his mark after Konare and to demonstrate he is not too linked to his country’s wishes In addition, the Members of the new Peace and Security Council have also been selected.
See the new AUC Chairperson’s speech – doc
See the press release for the new Commissioners – doc
