President Banda will be among other African Heads of State at the two-day Summit which is expected to be officially opened on Thursday by Libyan Leader Muammar Gadaffi who is also the incumbent AU Chairperson. The special summit will culminate into the adoption of the AU Convention on IDPs and Refugees.
The Summit which opened with the AU extraordinary session for ministers from respective African countries will also honour nations that have played a key role in hosting refugees and IDPs. Host country Ugandan Premier Apolo Nsibambi opened the ministers’ meeting which is expected to officially close today.
The Ministers meeting is also being attended by Zambia’s Home Affairs Minister Lameck Mangani who is leading the Zambian delegation part of which arrived in Kampala last night.
Zambia’s participation is cardinal at the historic Summit dubbed Addressing the Challenge of forced Displacement in Africa and aims to end the causes of forced displacement in Africa.
Briefing the Zambian delegation which included Mr Mangani, this morning at Munyonyo Commonwealth Resort, the venue of the AU Summit, Zambia’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations (UN) Lazarous Kapambwe said the AU Summit on refugees and IDPs is the first of its kind and it is Zambia’s brain child.
Mr Kapambwe expressed happiness that Zambia not only initiated the concept of Refugees/ IDPs Summit but also contributed to the formulation of the AU draft Convention which African leaders are expected to endorse.
‘’Zambia’s participation is significant because we originated the idea at the Burkina Faso African Union Heads of State in 2006 and also the country has hosted refugees and IDPs for a long time now. Therefore, we felt the need for the AU Heads to meet and discuss the issue of IDPs which lacks the legal framework to protect them’’, he said.
Mr Kapambwe who pointed out that the Summit was scheduled to take place last year but was deferred to this year, noted that the African continent has been hosting refugees and IDPs more than any other continent in the world hence the need to devise an instrument which would cater for the humanitarian aid of IDPs.
Unlike, the refugees, a legal framework to cater for the IDPs was lacking therefore the AU heads have seen it imperative to endorse a convention which will also be used to lobby the United Nations and the International community to equally adopt the convention to consolidate support.
He said the convention is supposed to be endorsed at the UN level however, African leaders felt compelled to first lay ground before tabling the matter to the world body adding that the convention will be a launch pad to pressurize the UN to back the instrument at global level.
The Zambian Permanent Representative to UN explained that currently the UN and the international community was restrained from supporting IDPs because they did not want to interfere in the sovereignty of their countries.
He said the IDPs issue has been considered as the responsibility of the State by the UN and international community due to sovereignty factors but experience has shown that in some cases the State has been the cause of these problems.
At the same briefing, Home Affairs Permanent Secretary Ndiyoi Mutiti said for the first time, Africa is trying to address issues by dealing with the causes of refugees and IDPs unlike being reactive.
Ms Mutiti said the collective responsibility approach of dealing with the refugees/IDPs issue will help resolve problems currently being faced in supporting these peoples.
Earlier, Home Affairs Commissioner for Refugees Jacob Mphepo attributed the problem of refugees and IDPs to conflict and noted that the only difference between the two was that the former crossed the border.
Mr Mphepo said the convention will also provide for monitoring mechanisms and reporting in order to ensure that countries did not flout the instrument.
Zambia’s delegation also includes Western Province Minister Adonis Mufali whose region is also host to refugees, Chitambo Member of Parliament Dr Solomon Musonda and other senior Government officials.
[ZANIS]
There he goes again, oblivious to the fuel shortages at home or does he think that this normal. RB must be doing a lot of personal bussiness on these trips, why else would he always be globtrotting ?
Ma ma ma ma ma!!! On the move, the president is either attending a traditional ceremony or by-election compaign or officiating the openning of some stup!d thing or visiting another country!!!!
useless, learn to miss some meetings
If he is wise enough let him first sought out the fuel issue before he travels. Kamwendo Munjila
Imwe, maybe globe trotting is part of his physiotherapy for his knee problem.
How about some local football newz, specially Divizion 1 North league?
Chitambo MP, am sure the man has not even clocked a month as MP, is it part of development for globetrotting/galavanting?
Is he sure he has enough fuel in his chalenger!!!!!!
Chwe Chwe Chwe……..wapya munzi ,Kampala here we come!
Dont bring your diagram back to Zambia….unkalilile kwamene uko ku Uganda
i think they shud move state house and build it near the airport. this man pisses me off with his travelling and i am sure he does not care what is happening in this country. is he going watch virgins again? refugees cant magani or this kunda bootlicker go there
Surely this type of man is a danger to our country. He is running away from problems. 2moro the ”succesful” bidder for Zamtel will be announced. What is next for the workers? no body knows. MMD convention, you will hear him talk when he is leaving the country and not telling pipo the importance of his trips. Going to USa through Italy was a big scandal. Just to go and get UMUTI wamu bed for better performance with the young girl surely is not normal.
Where is he gettin gas for his challenger jet? This tourist sucks gentlemen….!!!!
Is the use of the Presidential Jet during these very trying times not tantamount to “economic sabotage”?
Is there really any need to have a Presidential plane in our country when there is so much poverty?
Can’t the expenses on this Presidential Jet not be channelled to more productive use of poverty alleviation?
Surely the President could be able to use the business class of private airlines to travel around the world just like the way other Presidents and Prime ministers travel.
What is your view dear bloggers?
e wafwa mayo, I should enjoy while it lasts and make lots of foriegn friends to run to when am being sued after my term in plot 1
iwe Banda do forget that you report to us the people of Zambia. Come 2011 you are fired boyi
Where is Kabinga Pande. It appears this man has nothing to do wtih Foreign Affairs. Yah Oue President is hard working and next year he deserves a labour award. RB keep it up. Hard working President. The other week he was in the Thick of Political campaings, later commissioning ZAF officers in Livingstone and yesterday in Kitwe Commissioning a smelter in Chambeshi and 2morrow in Uganda.That is worling hard for the nation.
Globetrotter! there is an economic crisis at home and you busy running aroung like a rich boy. you don’t have a conscience, not even a dirty one.
The Challenger Jet will really be a wreck the time he leaves office in 2011. Come what may, he is losing the 2011 elections if the MMD doesnot go for the convention.
Uku Seya Nayena RB. Bankote ba RB bakonda kuyenda yenda
Minster in charge of Social Services could have gone, but no RB must see the world before God calls him.
This guy never heard about delegation of duties? The thing that really gets to me is that he seems not to care about us at all. Even talk of 2011, I don’t think he really cares whether he goes or stays. He is just there to eat and leave us without a thank you. Reminds me very much of one of his latest acquired friend with a thief tag that doesn’t seem to bother him a bit. We have lost again!
selfish and shamless… u keep flying, sleeping in hotels while there is such a crisis in your country! stay home and address these issues, echo muponena, lol! lets wait and see the drama that will happen in Kampala! come 2011, we need to vote wisly. Am coming home to vote! Though one, I know my vote will make a big difference! Enough is enough))))))
Ba RB Why not delegating some of these trips and meetings to your ministers. Leave this trip to minister of social walfare to attend.bane its clear by now that RB has got no agenda for zambian pipo.
,shame.
Maybe he wants to write a book on “How to rule a country outside the country” when he retires.
The defence and security chiefs must have their uniforms at the airport to meet RB flying in and out like a kite!
Let him continue traveling like that maybe we might one day get lucky and have him in an aircrash lol
You delegate some duties iwe Chi Nyama Soya…!!!! Whats the point of having cabinet if you cannot assign duties? Zambians lets stand up and rise, enough is enough. where is Mwamba Luchembe…???
I will shortly give you how many miles our president has done since he was sworn in. Watch this space.
To save money, the convention is not necessary.What this means is,Who ever wins the convention wont win the elections.
I think we should outfit the challenger jet with office space and sleeping quarters. Then we can open State House as a tourist destination. That way, we could cut the high cost of running state house and it would pay for itself from tourist’s fees. And then the president would have the residence with him wherever he goes.
Next flight……….. MOON…..
Zambia is now like Somali….. its prsident lives abroad….
Please Banda you should sit down and plan for your country. Every day you are on the road …why RB??? Cant you sit for just two minutes in your office and work for Zambia? Look at the fuel shortage , its coz you have no time to sit and plan thats why Zambia is facing this embaracing fuel shortage. Banda please you are old enough to know why you are in that highest office. Dont behalve like a teenager. Awe mwadini a Banda is still a child in his head. NI KATWISHI !!!!!.
Iwe # 20, the man needs to be active, he needs excercises. That’s part of the game for any Prezido but he is allowed to delegate if necessary.
lock uup yo young duaghters in Ug
Shatobelwa inkeche shapa Kampala!!!!!
Can someone please tell me why the President has to travel every time there is a gathering of Heads of State, can he not delegate the Vice-President or Minister of Foreign Affairs?He is lucky the Zambian Armed Forces are a professional force if not………………………………….
‘’Zambia’s participation is significant because we originated the idea at the Burkina Faso African Union Heads of State in 2006 and also the country has hosted refugees and IDPs for a long time now. Therefore, we felt the need for the AU Heads to meet and discuss the issue of IDPs which lacks the legal framework to protect them’’ This is leadership! Congratulations Your Excellency.
Fuel crisis is not solved by staying at home. This is a total misunderstanding of how government works. The President delegates and he has confidence in the people he has appointed to be able to handle the situation. This is a HEADS OF STATE mini-summit. If he had a hand in everything, he would be a dictator.
Word of advice. Ba Tweno… dont say Ichimana when you fly over Lake Victoria, in Luganda AKAMANA or ICHIMANA are obscene words for female reproduction organs, Buganda people are disgusted of those words. Just as Bemba’s are shocked to hear greetings in Luganda!!
#39 Muyenga Blues, Do you mean NKWANGALA N.YON.YO (I love you very much) in Luganda?
Imagine how many Trips Obama would make if he had to attend every meeting in person! In Iraq, Russia, Iran, Afghanstan, UK, Germany, etc. That is why the Secretary of State, Mrs. Clinton is there. Who in Zambian system is the equivalent of US Secretary of State?
He just dreams of per diem.
one question? where the hell is all the money coming from that he is spending on these exagerated expeditions of his. seriously speaking does he think the presidency is a holiday?
How many frequent flyer miles has he accumulated? The money spent on jet fuel is enough to fund his party’s convention. This guy surely cannot be serious about governing. We eagerly await his minions on these blogs to defend him and his jet fumes. His travels at our expense will soon be history.
WHo services his chalalenger? You know what to do.
One of these days GOD will answer our prayers. Keep on flying on that challenger.
No wonder there is no change in Zambia- Captain Solo is in the United States!!!!!!!!!!!
I put the Blame on Mwanawasa for appoint such a man to rule a ntation
# 45 the challenger jet is parked in south Africa, it is also serviced in south Africa, the pilots are south Africans. it is really cost guys. i do not know what is wrong with us………….why is it not parked in zambia and serviced in zambia when we have all the engineers in the country.
I think this country has the most useless president in Africa. Besides Museveni and Ghadafy, I do not think there will any other African president who will be attending this summit. Most of them were in the US for the UN summit only recently and are now keen to stay at home solving problems but this president of ours is always on the move, doing nothing beneficial to the country at all. If this refugee summit of theirs, and we have no Zambian refugees anywhere, was our brainchild, why was the summit not held in Lusaka? Honestly, this I D I O T needs to be removed from office, immediately.
Vasco Da Gama. Bushe can’t he send bashi Howard for a change? Oneday Hypoxia eka chikata mulya mwine mu ndeke cha temwa.
Kamwendo munjila. Uyu muntu behaves like he never used to travel when he was a diplomat and when he was Minister of Foreign Affairs. We would have forgiven him if he came from the village without prior travel experience. Chimo chikafwila mundeke.
Guys, maybe we should have inserted a provision in the constitution to limit the number of times the president can travel out of the country in any single year? Mambala Kansundila is draining dear life out of the blood of this country. And if I may ask, what was he doing in Italy enroute to the UN?
He must have been buying shoes, suits, and few things for his young wife while in Italy, enroute to US, Cuba, SA… then finally Zambia but not Lusaka. Livingstone, Mfuwe, Chipata (muku panda nafuti nafuti), Kasama, Solwezi, Chambishi, back to Livingstone then a bit of Lusaka but awe Lusaka yalula off to Munyonyo in Kampala!!!!
Imwe bantu why are you condemning Bwezani from traveliing while you know that he was saying in Chambishi that there are no problems in Zambia? So since there are no problems which he sees himself the old man is at liberty to travel ALL over the world. Everything for him in Zambia is okay, plenty food, plenty fuel, plenty new jobs.
LOL. Why cant this Chalenger bless us with just a small state funaral. This tourist doesent care about his own people, if he did he could have been taking care of the mess this country is in.
I think we are in for more troiuble with this peasant farmer
In Uganda, they have Gorillas and those do not play like abena Kolwe the babtisers of State House baba. If Kanitundila thinks that a Munyo-nyo silver-back alpha Gorilla is going to just sock his big for nothing head in pee and let him off the hook, he is mistaken. He will return to Zambia without a head, well, if he ever had one to begin with!
serial traveller,please sort the mess before you go galavanting
This man would definately do well in “Amazing Race” LOL
Hvae faith……………air crash
Bwezani should read Chibamba Kanyama’s Talking Business advising him to spend less than 15percent of his time on travel, ceremonies and political campaigns.
My prayer is that, the challenger crashes in the ocean or lake one of these days and RB does’nt survive so that serious minded people can enter plot 1. Twacuula pafula no kutekwa ku fiipuba………………!! Ka FJT kali kapuuba, Levy ali cipuuba elo uyu wena ntweno RB Ciipuba caalekeleshako kabili kooswe makaa uyu.
I thought Rupia has completed his flying lessons. How many more flying hours does he need? Or has state house moved to a plane now? Someone help me.
Abaleya…abaleya ….uganda, uganda abaleya please…..is there no one in Zambia? Owe Ba RB already is on a challenger to uganda. RB please uleikalako panshi mune, dont behave like a villager usha ninako mundeke.
RB aba mukunya pa kuseya!!!!!!!!!!!!sorry to say that,,.. but this is too much… kwati and as if he is on a holiday presidential tour of his life time/legacy!!!!
A boss who is always absent from his office is a great leability to his company he doesnt know what happens in his firm;; one day he will hear that his firm has gone under for he is a blind leader who fears responsiblity that is the kind of a president we have GOD help us
Ba Tourist RB its Uganda now and where next