President Levy Mwanawasa is expected to arrive in Egypt’s tourism resort city of Sharm-el-Sheikh on Sunday to attend the 11th Ordinary African Union (AU) Heads of State and Government Summit which opens on Monday, June 30th, 2008.
And the two-day13th Ordinary Session of the Executive Council, comprising Foreign Affairs Ministers opened today in Sharm-el-Sheikh, Egypt with concern raised over the global increase of food and oil prices.
Foreign Affairs Minister Kabinga Pande confirmed that President Mwanawasa, who is also Southern African Development Community (SADC) Chairman, would arrive in Egypt on Sunday to ZANIS in Egypt today.
Mr. Pande, who is leading the Presidential advance party, said the Egypt summit would discuss among other things the raising global food prices which were affecting every one on the continent.
The Minister said the summit would also discuss water and sanitation, progress on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), economic integration of the continent among others.
Mr. Pande said the summit would also discuss the issue of water because in the near future, the commodity might become as expensive as oil was today.
The 11th AU summit, whose theme is “Meeting the Millennium Development Goals on Water and Sanitation”, will take place from June 30 to July 1 this year.
Finance Minister Ng’andu Magande, Tourism Minister Michael Kaingu, Local Government Minister Silvia Masebo, Justice Minister George Kunda and Lusaka Province Minister Lameck Mangani are among the members of the presidential delegation.
And the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) has said that the continent faces a lot of challenges from the impact of current developments in the international economic scene.
ECA Executive Secretary, Abdoulie Janneh, said during the opening of the 13th Session of the Executive Council of the AU in Sharm-el-Sheikh that recent positive economic performance of Africa was being threatened by global economic emergencies in food and energy markets.
Mr. Janneh, who is also the United Nations under Secretary General, said the above problems which were closely linked with the negative effects of climate change had potential to undermine political stability and scaling up of efforts aimed at achieving the MDGs.
He called for use of common solutions and benefits of regional and international cooperation to drive and guide national actions aimed at addressing the problems.
Mr. Janneh urged the international community to reduce trade restrictions and distorting agricultural support policies as a way of addressing the escalating food prices in Africa.
He said similar attention should be paid to soaring oil prices and called for solidarity between oil producing and consuming African countries.
ZANIS/MB/KSH/ENDS
they should also talk about political insatability in zizim
Don’t mess with the British!!!
“Okay Mugabe that’s enough now, we British don’t take your actions lightly, effective immediately you are no longer a knight! Sorry, but you should have seen this coming!”
I’m reliably informed that Bob Mugabe who has already declared himself president is going to attend the AU Summit! I hope he will be “roasted” by the delegates
our president seeme to be on the move lately..he has not styaed in zed for a week..allways in anothere place trying to make that last cash flow huh..smart move mr cabbagggggggggeeeeee
I hope that after having condemned Bob in the past week, LPM & the other African leaders will be brave enough to tell it to him in the face, coz I suspect Bob really wnats to see who amongst them is man enough to face him & tell him in the face. This reminds me of the Lusaka fiasco involving LPM.
RESIDENT Robert Mugabe yesterday warned of a possible break up of SADC if certain leaders continue making irresponsible utterances.And President Mugabe has dared African leaders to condemn Zimbabwe in his face during next week’s Africa Union (AU) summit in Egypt.Wrapping up his campaign in Harare yesterday, President Mugabe warned of a possible break up of the regional bloc, SADC.“There are utterances in SADC by certain leaders that are completely irresponsible, which if they are not careful might lead to the
break up of SADC,” President Mugabe said. “I was among the founding leaders of SADC. We sacrificed for SADC but now we have some countries pretending to be more SADC than us.”
And President Mugabe has challenged African leaders to condemn him at the AU summit slated for Cairo, Egypt next week.“I am going to Egypt for the AU summit and I hear some people are gearing themselves against Zimbabwe. There are still countries in Africa today whose elections were conducted worse than us and their leaders are there. We have never interfered,” President Mugabe said. “I am waiting to see that finger being pointed at us and I will see if that finger is clean itself. I want to see that finger point at us.”President Mugabe further said Zimbabweans would not be dictated by anybody, including the AU.
“They have no right to dictate to us. Let no one be deluded into believing that because they are so and so, then they can dictate,” said President Mugabe.
OBSERVATION: POTENTIALLY SADC COULD TAKE THE FOLLOWING SPLIT LINES
1-South Africa, Namibia,Angola, Zimbabwe, Mozambique all hardcore liberation era lead Governments holding together their values joined by Congo DR heavily dependent on Zimbabwe, Namibia, Angola and SA for her security survival.Off the Region, Libya would remain a strong ally as usual.
2-Zambia, Botswana and Tanzania would be on one side with the later taking intensive internal heat from her pro liberation era Chama chama pinduzi politiburo.
With such a Geo political stratasphere,would regional stability and internal cohesion be sustainable expectation?
All this nonsense that Bob has uttered are targetted at LPM. And knowing the arrogance of Bob, i wonder how LPM, being the SADC head, will handle his threats. Because whatever the case, LPM is expected to say 1 or 2 things about Zim.
Bob is very sharp in the mouth. Unless people like Sata, LPM can not march him. It’s my hope that LPM will not end up stammering or even end up praising like his mate VJ.
Bob is foolish…one of those generals will just announce that he has taken over as presdo, while Bob is away attending the AU summit. That will be an easy overthrow to undertake and where is he going to go when he is creating enemies everywhere?
#13, you’re right on the spot. Does Bob got security advisers? Much as we do not encourage military coups, am sure this is the right time for Zim. And am sure everybody will be happy world over. If solo were in Zim, this would have been his best chance. I wonder where he would seek exile.
Zim is at war with the West, Its now the Us strategy according to Frazer US secretary for Africa to use SADC in squeezing Zim. This strategy seems to be working, Its for that reason why Zambia, Tanzania and Bostwana have been receiving attention and favours from the West ie Donor funding, visits of high profiled personalities, first lady meeting British prime ministers wife, unprecedented scholarships of Civil servants to europe, remember Museven of Uganda was treated similarly. It does not mean that the west think Zambia is domocratic, they might even encourage Mwanawasa to go for a third term for as long as Mugabe is president so that Mwanawasa can continue attacking him.
“Mwanawasa to Attend AU Summit” – what a title, bushe wasn’t he supposed to attend?
And for Bob, I think enough is ENOUGH!
Mandela celebrates his 90th birthday in London. How beautiful and taking to see one of ours being an icon to the entire world. His caring heart will never be forgetten.It will be with us in many years to come.Cant our cruede politicians see and learn from Mandela.Power is sweeet but let it go.
I agree that Mwanawasa just does not have the charm and charisma to stand up to Mugabe. Had it been people like Sata, Aka Lewanika, Dean Mung’omba etc as Zambian president, Mugabe would have been put where he belongs, the rubbish pile. And what a shame him claiming he was one of the SADC founders, this organisation was called the Front Line States formed in the 70s by Zambia and Tanzania to free the likes of Mugabe who were then languishing in Smith’s prisons. Today this senile stupid ***** wants to claim he was one of the founders. Being there at the change of names, from Frontline States to SADC does not make him one of the founders.
#18-I like that ‘senile stupid *****’. As for # 15 if we take it in another strategy, don’t you think those scholarships and donations are in a way a repayment for the money the West got from us?
Is Mugabe in the Executive Council?I’m sure he’s not!Such people could juz be suggesting nonsense in summits.Our leaders r getting tired of tryin’ to pump some sense into some knucklehead,who’s too dull to admit his stupidity.
There’s nothing to cry about in zim when nobody does anything about the crisis in Dafur
The zim people should sort out their internal affairs. Why should the whole world be drugged into their doings.Africa has its own problems, so does all other countries of the world.Lets not be driven into haterade by indulging into other peoples affairs.
Zimbabwean winner aka Robert Mugabe to be sworn in tomorrow to attend the AU summit so that he can tell off his critics, I wish someone has the balls to take it back to him, but at the moment I doubt there will be one such.
The question is why Zimbabwe?Is it because of the white farmers thats why it is having all the international attention?
Am sure there is something there.
South Africa and Zimbabwe was meant to be the white man`s country.
No attention is being paid to Somalia or Sudan.May be they are not people because their colour is black.
I don`t thing the AU will achieve any thing.Am looking forward to when the AU and the EU merge and what leader comes out of that unity (THE NEW WORLD ORDER)
kabwe #24,
You could be a leadership material in the making worth developing and enlisting for a place in our administration shaping up for God’s appointed time. Susceptibility and subservience we are seeing among the youth of today to propaganda by the Agenda media is not synonymous with national leadership character.
Congrates Bob Mugabe after all its your country too, let the west talk just do your thing my man I dont care what people say, solong its fro a white man who diplaced a black man i have little to admire of there help too cheers mugabe
Bob has had his day. Mwanawase better be ready, bob is aiming to punch him in the head.
Bob touched a raw nerve with the west. Yes they are angry because he displaced their kin. wouldent u be angy if USA or UK displaced all balck persons ?
Ba shushushu bamudala were are u ? You must be a sempia according to the hrs you post on this blog.
#24, it is a whiteman thing, but at the same time RGM should have been more tactiful in dealing with this, I think he came too hard and instead of people sympathising with him, they look at him that he is an evil man. What started off as well intentioned has now gone overboard and out of line.
To all those trying to undermine my President LPM by comparing his stamina on speech with Hon. Sata, just wait and see. I like the way H.E. Mwanawasa takes on matters and so, please, do not compare his skills with Hon. Sata who has been a sympathiser of Zimbabwean Robert G Mugabe (check the record on Hon. Sata’s failed 2006 Zambian Presidential Election aftermath plans).
Our man, President LPM will do the needful in the face of anyone especially in his usual way of dealing with things.
Levy is in hospital. as a concerned creature, i did like to suggest that chiti-mukulu, bemba chief should take over. lupando mwape can remain as a vice president, and should bring an end to the wrangles among the opposition party of mazoka and sata
its funny that the meeting to discuss Zim was held in Swaziland attended by Angola! These are not excactly beacons of democracy if you know what I mean. Then This Khumalo a Swazi Parliamentarian from PAP is sayin a couple of things. When was he himself elected? This is an absolute monarchy where the king kidnaps virgins to make them his wives at will.
Apart from that, ba Mugabe must now appoint a younger ‘prime minister’ and groom him to take over. Its probably his last chance to leave graceflly (with Grace Mugabe)
Last supper!Viva LPM tell this guy straight in his face. Bombeki will see who betrayed him among his colleagues he was sharing strategies to run the countries and stealing from the countries’ resources.The question is in what capacity is Bombeki representing to AU.We have alot of cowards in Africa they should speak out right in front of this guy
So sad tom come back to this topic and realise Levy never came back home from this summit alive, he died! MHSRIEP