Dorothy-Grace Guerrero and Firoze Manji (ed) (2008) China’s New Role in Africa and the South: A search for a new perspective. 
African Union Monitor
AU Monitor - Weekly Roundup
Issue 134, 2008
2008-04-30http://www.pambazuka.org/en/category/aumonitor/47752
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One month after elections in Zimbabwe, the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) has yet to release the results of the presidential elections. The Pan-African Parliament (PAP) noted in its interim statement that “the post-election phase which forms part of the entire electoral process, including the announcement of results, remains a concern and needs to be closely monitored" but concluded that “the environment for holding an election was conducive” and “generally the voting was conducted in a transparent and efficient manner”. The African Union (AU) goes further to express “its satisfaction once more over the success of these elections, which were conducted in a peaceful and orderly manner” though also expressing “concern over the delay observed in the announcement of the results, which creates an atmosphere of tension that is not in the least conducive to the consolidation of the democratic process that was so felicitously launched through the organization of the elections.” Following comments by South African President, and mediator for the Southern African Development Community (SADC), Thabo Mbeki that “there is no crisis in Zimbabwe”, the East African Law Society (EALS) called an emergency pan-African citizen’s consultation on the situation. Over 200 African civil society organizations convened in Tanzania and called on the AU “to revoke SADC’s mandate on Zimbabwe and appoint an independent high level Pan African panel of mediators” as well as “not to recognize the illegitimate incumbent government in Zimbabwe until a democratic solution to the crisis is found”. One of the conveners of the consultation, Don Deya, Director of the EALS, noted that “when election fraud occurred in Kenya, the AU acted swiftly and effectively to mediate a settlement. We have the same situation in Zimbabwe. Why is the AU silent?” Concurrently, Professor Anyang Nyong'o, a Kenyan minister and member of the opposition Orange Democratic Movement, called into question the electoral process throughout Africa for not responding to the wills and wishes of the people.
While the role of SADC remains uncertain in resolving the situation in Zimbabwe, the SADC International Consultative Conference on Poverty and Development was held in Mauritius to engage in policy dialogue, forge consensus, and review progress of the SADC economic integration agenda, with emphasis on poverty eradication. Similarly, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) will hold an extraordinary meeting of ministers of trade and industry in early May to discuss the impact of rising food prices in the region. The meeting will further review the status of the Economic Partnership Agreement negotiations with the European Union. As one of the organizers of Africa’s International Media Summit, ECOWAS has also agreed to implement three media pilot schemes, in and with the collaboration of governments of Ghana, Nigeria and Tunisia, to deploy African youths towards improving the image of the continent as part of the process of re-branding Africa. Meanwhile, the ECOWAS Commission has signed an agreement with Cuba to implement a regional programme on renewable energy. Further, ECOWAS will collaborate with Oxfam America to create a common mining code for the region “to facilitate the contribution of civil society in the process of forming a common mining policy that is favorable to the poor, respectful of the protection principles of the environment and of human rights, and that renders the government and the mining companies responsible through good governance practices.”
Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Wang Yi expressed support for strengthened coordination and synergy between the United Nations (UN) and the AU during the UN Security Council high-level meeting on peace and security in Africa. He stated that: "while maintaining its authority, the Security Council should give priority to supporting the African Union’s key role in resolving regional conflicts, and give full consideration to the views of the African Union."
Ahead of the forthcoming session of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR) in Ezulwini, Swaziland, the Centre for Conflict Resolution (CCR) is hosting a panel discussion on human rights and conflict management at Ezulwini Sun Hotel on the 5th of May. The discussion will highlight the linkages between human rights and conflict prevention and resolution as well as examine the role that institutions such as the ACHPR, national human rights institutions and non-governmental organisations play in preventing conflict and building sustainable peace. The meeting will further provide an opportunity to introduce CCR’s forthcoming book on Africa’s Human Rights Architecture. The Coalition for an Effective African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights will also be holding a panel discussion at the Royal Swazi Sun on 11th of May which will consider the relationship between the African Court and the African Commission and the opportunities for civil society in using the African human rights system to protect human rights, among other themes.