AU summit kicks off in Addis Ababa

JUBA – African leaders this morning met in Ethiopian’s capital, Addis Ababa for the annual summit of African Union.

The 40thordinary session of African Union (AU) Executive Council has been attended by foreign ministers of member states and representatives of international institutions.

The two-day session is held under the theme “Building Resilience in Nutrition on African Continent: Accelerate the Human Capital, Social and Economic Development”

Speaking during opening session in Addis Ababa this morning, Moussa Faki Mahamat, Chairperson of African Union said the meeting will cover critical issues that need the attention of the Union.

“We need to put more efforts as commission to combat the Coronavirus pandemic and implementation of African Continental Free Trade Area and other pertinent issues,” Mahamat said during 40th AU summit this morning in Addis Ababa.

Vera Songwe, the United Nations Undersecretary General and Executive Secretary of Economic Commission for Africa stressed on the need to build resilience to tackle man-made and natural disaster facing Africa.

“The African States should strive to exploit cyberspace to the benefit of small scale and medium. Recalling of the recent sale of 11,200 bags of Ethiopian coffee in just 2 seconds in an online Chinese market,” Songwe said.

The ministers will discuss report on COVID-19 pandemic and its social-economic impact on African economies and operationalization of African Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The summit will also deliberate the elections of 15 members of peace and Security Council and female Vice President of Pan-African University.