Editorial Note: The following news reports are summaries from original sources. They may also include corrections of Arabic names and political terminology. Comments are in parentheses.

 

African Union summit closed after discussions on development, food crisis, and Zimbabwe

www.chinaview.cn 2008-07-02 09:30:23  

    SHARM EL-SHAIKH, Egypt, July 1 (Xinhua) --

The 11th African Union (AU) summit closed here Tuesday after African leaders discussed the impact of soaring food prices, the situation in Zimbabwe, and how to achieve the Millennium Development Goals in Africa,

    The AU leaders have shown great concern on the impact of soaring food prices on Africa.

    "This sharp increase (in basic food prices) has had a particularly negative effect on African countries," Jean Ping, chairman of the AU Commission, told a meeting of AU foreign ministers.

    The World Bank has estimated that high food prices and climate change together could drive more than 100 million people into extreme poverty. And the world's poorest continent Africa, could be hit the hardest, analysts say.

    On Zimbabwe, the 53-member AU adopted a resolution supporting the creation of a unity government in Zimbabwe through dialogue. The resolution encouraged both sides to live up to pledges to start dialogue to promote peace and stability.

    The resolution said AU leaders are deeply concerned over the situation in Zimbabwe and mediation efforts by the regional Southern African Development Community (SADC) should be continued.

    AU leaders are convinced that the Zimbabwean people "will be able to resolve their differences and work together once again as one nation, provided they receive undivided support from SADC, the AU and the world at large," said the resolution.

    The summit did not back a U.S. push for United Nations sanctions against Zimbabwe, including an arms embargo.

    On the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), African leaders said that although great strides have been made in some countries especially in increasing school enrolment, improving access to clean water and expanding HIV/AIDS treatment, progress in many countries is not yet on track to meet MDGs.

    The AU summit was held from Monday to Tuesday in the Egyptian Red Sea resort of Sharm El-Shaikh.

    The AU, headquartered in Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa, groups all African countries except Morocco.

    The bloc was founded in July 2002 to replace the Organization for African Unity established in 1963, and is aimed at promoting cooperation, development and integration on the African continent.

AU adopts resolution on Zimbabwe dialogue, national unity

www.chinaview.cn 2008-07-02 02:40:26  

    SHARM EL-SHEIKH, Egypt, July 1 (Xinhua) --

The African Union (AU) on Tuesday adopted here a resolution supporting the creation of a government of national unity for Zimbabwe through dialogue, a text of the decision said.

    Reached at the ongoing 11th AU summit at the Egyptian Red Sea resort, the AU resolution decided to encourage Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe and opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai to honor their commitment to initiate dialogue with a view to promoting peace, stability, democracy and reconciliation.

    It also expressed support to the call for the creation of a government of national unity.

    The text also expressed support to SADC (Southern African Development Community) facilitation on the issue while calling for continued SADC mediation efforts in order to assist the people and leadership of Zimbabwe to resolve the problems they are facing.

    It urged the SADC to establish a mechanism on the ground in order to seize the momentum for a negotiated solution.

    The resolution further appealed to states and all parties concerned to refrain from any action that may negatively impact on the climate of dialogue.

    In the resolution, the AU expressed confidence that the people of Zimbabwe will be able to resolve their differences and work together once again as on Nation, provided they receive undivided support from SADC, the AU and the world at large.

    The text also noted that the political leaders expressed willingness to establish a government of national unity through negotiation.

    Meanwhile at a press conference, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Hossam Zaki confirmed that Mugabe expressed no objection to the AU resolution during the summit.

    Zimbabwe held the presidential run-off election as scheduled on June 27 despite opposition Tsvangirai's withdrawal from the race.

    Mugabe won the one-candidate presidential run-off election. The ZEC announced that Mugabe won 85.5 percent of the votes in the election against opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai's 9.3 percent.

    Under the theme "Meeting the Millennium Development Goals on Water and Sanitation", the two-day summit gathers heads of state and government or representatives of 53 AU members, who discussed the Millennium Development Goals, the impact of soaring food prices on Africa and the problems in Zimbabwe.

Editor: Yan Liang