Ministers to Push for Continental Unity

(PANA)--African Foreign Ministers Tuesday settled down on their first day of deliberations on the process of transforming the African Union Commission (AUC) into a Union Authority, at an extra-ordinary meeting in Sirte, Libya.

Kenyan Foreign Minister Moses Wetangula said on Monday before departing for the meeting that the Sirte meeting would deliberate on the transformation of AUC into an authority and agree on the venue of the next summit of the AU heads of state assembly. African leaders failed to strike an accord on the process of transforming the African Union Commission into an authority, with more powers to coordinate policy issues on behalf of the 53 African state members, including those currently suspended.

Among the outstanding issues were the structures of the substantive ministries that would constitute the new authority, replacing the current structures in place, which has seen the AUC organised according to some ten departments, each headed by a commissioner. The posts of commissioners are expected to be scrapped and replaced by the posts of secretaries, similar to ministerial portfolios, while the position of the AU Chairman is also expected to change to that of president. The AUC Chairperson’s post would also be changed to President of the Authority, according to confidential papers.

The reform process stalled during the last AU summit in early February in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, when some African leaders refused to endorse the planned declaration of the Union Authority, saying there was no need to create a government without a mandate to govern.

Madagascar, whose membership of the AU was suspended recently following a forced power takeover by opposition leader Andy Rajoelina, was slated as the venue of the next summit of the AU Assembly, where the Union Authority was to be declared. Wetangula said the political crisis in the Indian Ocean state had made it ‘untenable’ for the African leaders to meet there for the June summit, during which the leaders are expected to declare the historic launch of the authority to run continental affairs.

African leaders failed to reach a consensus on the exact mandate the authority would enjoy in the running of African affairs. The deal on the setting up of the authority was seen as a middle-ground between the countries that wanted the immediate formation of an African government and those that favoured a gradual approach to the union government.

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