Meetings involving African ministers and officials have been taking place all week, but today and tomorrow the African Union (AU) Summit will reach a climax with the assembly of heads of state and high-level discussions. A few issues are preoccupying African leaders.
IT’S ALL ABOUT THE MONEY
African solutions cannot address African problems without African cash, and the AU has for several years been thinking about how to become fully African-funded.
This summit is unlikely to take any final decisions on how countries should contribute, but at the January summit in Addis Ababa, a new funding model was proposed whereby richer countries – South Africa, Angola, Nigeria, Algeria and Egypt – would pay more to allow the continental body to become independent of donor funding, which makes up 70% of its budget.
President Jacob Zuma this week hosted a presidential golf day, which South Africa will host annually, and a gala dinner to persuade businesspeople to cough up, saying that the AU’s programmes would help it “to create a conducive environment to do business” on the continent.
THIRD TERMS
Burundi is the latest hot spot on everyone’s lips after President Pierre Nkurunziza’s intention to run for a third term in next month’s elections sparked a coup attempt.
UK minister for Africa James Duddridge told journalists he was briefed a year ago that it was “the most likely [next] place in Africa to have a civil war”.
While many countries, including South Africa, said Nkurunziza should respect his country’s constitution and not run for a third term, the AU said it would not send an election-observer mission unless Burundi established a climate conducive to a free and fair election. Two of Burundi’s five election commissioners resigned this month.
The AU is under pressure to act, as presidents of other member states, such as Rwanda, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, have indicated they might also seek third terms.
STANDBY FORCES
The AU’s peace and security council met until late last night about conflict flashpoints on the continent and to discuss the African Standby Force. In 2013, President Zuma suggested an interim standby force, known as the African Capacity for Immediate Response to Crises, but although the forces have been operationalised and should have been deployed by now, they have not been. There has been scepticism and resistance to such a force by AU member states, notably Nigeria.
XENOPHOBIA AND MIGRATION
South Africa’s hosting of this AU Summit became an issue after recent violent xenophobic attacks made headlines . Xenophobia and migration top the agenda for a high-level discussion this morning ahead of the opening of the AU assembly.
AU leaders are also expected to discuss the deaths of 2 000 migrants in the Mediterranean Sea in recent months.
WOMEN
The theme of the two AU summits this year is the empowerment of women, a topic raised in discussions about elections, trade and conflict.
AU Commission Chairperson Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma’s four-year term comes to an end next year and, although she hasn’t made it clear whether she will continue or step down, lobbying has already started among some countries for a replacement. Foreign Minister Ramtane Lamamra of Algeria has been mentioned as a possible candidate