African Union Monitor
The ICC issues arrest warrant against Bashir
AU Monitor Weekly Roundup: Issue 171, 2009
2009-03-12, Issue 423
http://pambazuka.org/en/category/aumonitor/54730
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The peace and security council of the African Union (AU) condemned the arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court against Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir and recommended the chairperson of the AU Commission, Jean Ping, send a delegation to the UN Peace and Security Council to aimed at stopping the indictment. Elsewhere, the AU called on the authorities of Guinea Bissau to cooperate with other stakeholders in launching a full investigation into the assassination of President Joao Bernardo Vieira and General Batista Tagme Na Wai to help identify the perpetrators and bring them to justice. The AU Commission chairperson sent a delegation led by the Commissioner for peace and security, Ambassador Ramtane Lamamra, to Madagascar for consultations with the Malagasy parties in pursuit of a peaceful and negotiated solution to the current political crisis. The AU chairperson, Libyan leader Muammar Al-Gaddafi, received representatives of the AU Commission in Tripoli to discuss key issues such as the implementation of decisions and declarations adopted during the 12th AU ordinary summit, the situation of peace and security on the continent and actions being taken by the Union to address these.
As the world celebrated International Women’s Day, the AU, while enumerating instruments and mechanisms aimed at promoting and protecting women’s rights in Africa, reiterated its commitment to eliminate violence against women and girls and said that men should be more involved in the recognition of human rights and fundamental freedoms of women.
Furthermore, the chairperson of the council of ministers of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and Foreign affairs minister of South Africa Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma stated that while SADC supported the integration of Africa, regional integration had to be achieved before the formation of a single AU government could be realised. The general secretary of the SADC Parliamentary Forum, a body established in 1997 to create a platform for the region’s legislators to share knowledge and experiences in governance, explains why the Forum needs to be transformed into a fully-fledged parliament to consolidate its role in advancing democracy, development, wealth creation and poverty reduction.
In other news, with the possibility that a permanent seat in the United Nations Security Council could be allotted to Africa, countries like Nigeria, South Africa, Egypt, Libya, Senegal, Kenya, and Botswana have commenced ‘to lock horns in a diplomatic tug-of-war’ over which country is the best candidate to occupy the seat. The former president of Botswana and current chairperson of the advisory board of the newly created Coalition for Dialogue on Africa, Festus Mogae, said Africans should stop blaming others for the continent’s problems, but instead take responsibility for some of Africa’s ills. Finally, the Director of Africa Department at the International Monetary Fund has warned that the global financial meltdown could wipe out the financial successes recorded by African countries over the past decade.