The 22nd Assembly of African Union Heads of State and Government began a two-day Summit with the crises in South Sudan and the Central African Republic (CAR) on Thursday.
The News Agency of Nigeria,(NAN) reports that the Summit is being attended by Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan, former President Olusegun Obasanjo,and Former Head of State, Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar.
President Jonathan is leading a delegation of seven members of the Federal Executive Council, including the two ministers of Foreign Affairs, Agriculture, Works, Health, Justice and Water Resources.
The Summit with the theme, 2014, Africa’s Year of Agriculture and Food Security was declared opened by the out-going Chairperson and Ethiopian Prime Minister, Hailemariam Dessalegn. He urged leaders to deliberate on the crises and resolve on the best way to tackle them before they assume a catastrophic level in the East African Region and the Continent.
The Ethiopian Prime Minister also said the continent had recorded a great shift from the poverty and disease-dreaded continent to the most attractive and investment friendly one.
He urged leaders to increase the investment in the agriculture sector to achieve the continental target of 10%. And also to reduce poverty and attain food security in line with the objectives of the CAADP and other AU development agencies. The Chairperson of the AU Commission, Dr Dlamini Zuma, earlier announced the appointment of Mrs Binta Diop, a Senegalese as AU Special Envoy for Women, Peace and Security.
She said Diop’s appointment will help promote the course of women and children on the continent and beyond.“ I am pleased to announce the appointment of a Special Envoy for women, Peace and Security, Mrs Binta Diop to ensure that voices of women and the vulnerable are heard much more clearly in the peace building process in conflict resolution.”