Rabat, Morocco | AFP | Morocco on Wednesday accused the African Union commission’s chairperson, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma of South Africa, of blocking Rabat’s efforts to rejoin the AU and lacking neutrality. The foreign ministry, in a strongly worded statement, charged that she was “trying to thwart Morocco’s decision to regain its …
Read More »AU angry over EU direct payment of Burundi troops in Somalia
Nairobi, Kenya | AFP | The African Union has lashed the EU for saying it will pay Burundian peacekeepers in Somalia directly, rather than through their government, ostensibly to prevent the money being diverted to the regime in Bujumbura. In a statement issued late Friday after a meeting of its …
Read More »Museveni in Addis for AU meeting on Libya crisis
President Yoweri Museveni is in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa on a two day working visit to the Africa Union Commission, where he will attend an African Union High Level Committee meeting on Libya. Museveni headed straight to the AU Headquarters where he joined other other presidents attending the AU …
Read More »Ethiopia denies Somalia troop withdrawals linked to unrest at home
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia | AFP | Ethiopia on Wednesday denied that a string of withdrawals of troops from towns in Somalia were connected to the state of emergency declared in response to nearly a year of anti-government protests. Government spokesman Getachew Reda insisted the removal of troops from a string …
Read More »Morocco king seeks support for AU bid in East Africa
Kigali, Rwanda | AFP | Moroccan King Mohammed VI on Wednesday began a tour of east Africa to shore up support for a historic bid to rejoin the African Union after more than three decades. The visit, kicking off in Rwanda and set to take in Tanzania and Ethiopia, also …
Read More »Chad and Kenya join battle to lead AU, Uganda’s Kazibwe out
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia | AFP | Kenya, Senegal and Chad will each nominate a candidate to become the new head of the African Union, which failed to choose a successor to Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma in July. A list of candidates, obtained by AFP but not yet made public, includes Kenya’s foreign …
Read More »Morocco asks to rejoin African Union after 32 years
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia | AFP | Morocco on Friday made an official request to return to the African Union, 32 years after quitting the bloc in protest at its decision to accept Western Sahara as a member. “The Kingdom of Morocco has officially submitted a request to accede to the …
Read More »South Sudan violence tops African Union summit agenda
Kigali, Rwanda | AFP | Renewed fighting in South Sudan that has claimed more than 300 lives dominated discussions at an African Union summit that opened Sunday in the Rwandan capital Kigali. A shaky ceasefire has held since late Monday following the fighting that raged for four days in Juba, …
Read More »South Sudan dominates Museveni meetings pre-AU Summit
The situation in South Sudan has dominated President Yoweri Museveni’s meetings at the sidelines of the ongoing 27th AU summit, in Kigali, Rwanda. Museveni first met the United Nations General Secretary Ban Ki Moon soon after arriving Saturday, and this was followed by meetings with the Ethiopian Prime Minister and …
Read More »VIDEO: Kazibwe hosts foreign affairs ministers in Kigali
NBS: As the 27th African union summit gathers momentum the agenda for the summit is set to focus on the new chair of the Union’s commission. East Africa’s candidate Uganda’s Specioza Wandira Kazibwe organized a breakfast meeting with foreign affairs ministers of the member states at the Kigali Convention Centre …
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