au weekly 19 march 2014

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AU WEEKLY

PEACE AND SECURITY

AU WEEKLY…keeping you updated

19- 26 March , 2014

In this issue• South Sudan Commission of

Inquirysworn-in

• PSC holds induction for NewMembers

• Namibia honours its pledge toAU efforts in Central AfricanRepublic(MISCA)

• Japan donates $5 million toAU for CAR, Sudan and SouthSudan

• President Salva Kirr Mayarditattends IGAD Extra-OrdinarySummit

• MISCA welcomes Progress inRebuilding the CAR ArmedForces

• The African Union urgesLibyan stakeholders to resolvedifferences

• AMISOM,SomaliNationalArmycapturethesixthtownfromAl-Shabaab

• The AU Commission of Inquiryon Human Rights to visit SouthSudaninEarlyJanuary

ThePeaceandSecurityCouncil,throughMozambique,ChairoftheMonthofMarchandtheAUCPeaceandSecurityCouncilSecretariat organised an induction workshop newly electedandreturningmembersofthePSCinDebreZeitfrom14to15March2014.InordertoenhancecollaborationandcooperationbetweenthePSCandCivilSocietyOrganizations(CSOs),intheareaofpeace,securityandstability inAfrica,thePSCinvitedthe Institute for Security Studies (ISS) andOxfam internationalLiaisonOffice to theAfrican Union tomakepresentations onInsightsofresearchinstitutionsregardingpeaceandsecurityinAfricaandtheroleofCivilSocietyOrganizations(CSOs)inthepromotionofpeace,securityandstabilityinAfricarespectively.PSCnewmembersforthetwoyeartenure(2014–2016)includeBurundi,Chad,Ethiopia,Tanzania,Libya,Namibia,SouthAfrica,Gambia,GuineaandNiger.

@Oxfam_AU Oxfam Oxfam International Liaison Office with the African Union: OI-AU

Membersof theCommissionof Inquiry on South Sudanappointedon 7March 2014bytheChairpersonoftheAUCommission, Dr. NkosazanaDlamini Zuma have beensworn in. Former PresidentOlusegun Obasanjo is thechair of the commission,appointed alongside himare 4 members tasked withproviding accountability,

reconciliationandhealing.

During his preliminaryaddress, PresidentObasanjogave his assurances to theCommission that he willleave no stone unturned,and in accordance withthe mandate and terms ofreferenceoftheCommissionof Inquiry, that thoseresponsible must not getawaywithimpunity.

TheCommission is expectedto investigate human rightsviolations and other abusescommittedduringthearmedconflictthatbrokeoutinSouthSudan in mid-December2013.Itisexpectedtosubmitits report to the Peace andSecurityCouncilin3months.

South Sudan Commission of Inquiry sworn-in

PSC holds induction for New Members

Further Reading: http://www.peaceau.org

Further Reading: http://www.peaceau.org

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Further reading: www.peaceau.org

Further reading: www.peaceau.org

On Friday 14March, theAUreceived USD 500,000 fromNamibia to the Peace Fundto support the financing ofthe African-led InternationalSupport Mission to theCentral African Republic(MISCA).Namibiahadmade

Japan handed over acheque of usd50 million totheAfricanUnion to supportcivilian components of theAfrican led InternationalSupport Mission in theCentral African Republicas well as other stabilityinitiatives in South Sudan

Republic of South SudanPresident, Salva Kiir wasamong IGAD Heads ofState and Governmentthat attended the 12thIGAD Summit to discuss thesituation in South SudanheldinAddisAbabaon13thMarch2014.TheSummitwasalsoattendedbytheleadersof Sudan, Djibouti, Kenya,

The African-led InternationalSupport Mission in theCentral African Republic- CAR (MISCA) welcomescontinuing progress inrebuilding theArmedForcesof the country. The SpecialRepresentative of theChairperson of the AfricanUnion (AU) Commission inCAR and Head of MISCA,

this pledge in response tothe request by AU Peaceand Security Council (PSC)at its 413thmeetingheldon16 January 2014, for the AUMember States to mobilizeadequate support for theMISCA to help resolve the

andSudan.Speakingduringthe handover ceremony onFriday 14th March, JapanAmbassadortoEthiopiaandPermanent Representativeto the AU, H.E. Mr. KazuhiroSuzuki stated that thecontribution demonstratesJapan’s acknowledgment

Uganda and Somalia; aswellastheAUCChairpersonand the IGAD ExecutiveSecretary. The Summitauthorised the deploymentof a protection andDeterrent Force (PDF) withtroops from IGAD memberstates as part of the IGADMonitoring and VerificationMechanism in South Sudan.

General Jean-Marie MichelMokoko welcomes theefforts of the CAR TransitionAuthorities to reconstitutethe country’s security forcesand pledges the AU’ssupport in that regard. TheSpecial Representativenoted with satisfaction that,accordingtotheCARmilitaryauthorities,nearly70percent

multidimensional crisis in theCAR. Namibia respondedto this appeal during theDonors’Conferenceheldon1February2014.

of the value of the AUintervention in CAR and itconfidence inAfrica’sabilityto address this and otherconflictsintheregion.

It also denounced andcondemnedallhumanrightsviolationscommittedinSouthSudan and welcomed theestablishment of the AUCommissionofInquiry.

of members of the FACAhavereportedbackforworkand that efforts are beingexerted toencourage thosewho have not yet resumedtheirdutiestodoso.

Namibia honours its pledge to AU efforts in Central African Republic

Japan donates $5 million to AU for CAR, Sudan and South Sudan

President Salva Kirr Mayardit attends IGAD Extra-Ordinary Summit

MISCA welcomes Progress in Rebuilding the CAR Armed Forces

Further Reading: http://issuu.com/brendachikwehelenmofya/docs/final_communqiue_of_25th_extra-ordi

Further reading: www.peaceau.org

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AU WEEKLY

AUC Chairperson, Dr.NkosazanaDlamini-Zuma,on13th March 2014 expressedconcernover thecontinuedinstability and insecurityin Libya. The ChairpersonreaffirmsAU’s support to theefforts aimed at stabilizingthe security and political

situation, strengtheningstate authority throughoutthe national territory,and ensuring the earlycompletion of the ongoingtransition. She also stressedthe need for all concernedto cease all activities thatfurther complicate the

situation and appealedLibyan stakeholders tocommit themselves to settletheirdifferencesbypeacefulmeansand towork towardsnational dialogue andreconciliation.

The African Union urges Libyan stakeholders to resolve differences

Further reading: www.peaceau.org

AMISOM, Somali National Army capture the sixth town from Al-ShabaabOn 13 March 2014, theSomali National Army (SNA)backed by AU Mission inSomalia (AMISOM) troopscaptured an Al-Shabaabstronghold,BuulaBurdetownin Hiraan region, bringingto six the number of townsliberated from Al- Qaeda–linked terrorists in the pasttwoweeks,a topAUofficial

has said. The AU SpecialRepresentative for Somaliaand Head of AMISOM,AmbassadorMahamatSalehAnnadif, said the captureof Buula Burde town was amajorvictoryfortheSNAandAMISOMforcesandaboostfor the peace restorationprocess in Somalia. Sofar, the joint operations

betweentheSomaliNationalArmy and AMISOM whichbegan inMarchhaveso farliberated the top 5 cities inthe Bay and Bakool regionsin Sector 3, namely Hudur,Rabdhure,Ted, Weel dheynandBurdhubow.

Further reading: www.peaceau.org

The AU Commission of Inquiry on Human Rights to visit South Sudan in Early JanuaryFollowing the swearing inceremonyofitsmembers,on12th March 2014 the SouthSudanCommissionof Inquiryon Human rights adoptedits terms of reference,outlined a work plan andagreed on the requiredsupport to fulfill itsmandate.According to a pressrelease issued by the AUC,

the Commission of Inquiryidentified initial activities tobeundertakeninthecomingweeks, including meetingswith the Government ofSouth Sudan, the armedopposition and other SouthSudanese stakeholders;consultations with theIntergovernmental Authorityon Development (IGAD);

AU bodies such as the AUHigh-Level ImplementationPanel (AUHIP) as well asinternationalactors,notably,the United Nations; non-governmental organizationsandotherrelevantbodies.

Further reading: www.peaceau.org

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Further reading: www.peaceau.org`

OnMarch172014, theAUCChairperson, Dr. NkosazanaDlamini Zuma, and Kenya’sCabinet Secretary in theMinistry of Mining, whodoubles as theChairmanoftheGoverningCounciloftheSouthernandEasternAfrican

Mineral Centre (SEAMIC),H.E. Najib Balal, met inAddis Ababa to discuss thechallengesandopportunitiesin theAfricanmining sector.The two agreed on theimportanceof thecontinentcoherently speaking

Africa to speak and act as one on extractive industry issues

and acting together oncommodities and miningissues and collectivelyworkingtoattaintheAfricanMiningVision

ECONOMIC AFFAIRS AND LIVELIHOODS

The African-led InternationalSupport Mission in theCentral African Republic-CAR(MISCA),on11thMarch2014 completed the escortof another 120 vehiclesinto Bangui. Most of thevehicles were heavy-dutytrucks transporting shippingcontainers loaded withcommercial goods andhumanitarian supplies fromthe Cameroon seaport of

DoualaintotheCAR.Thisbringsto1,205thetotalnumberofvehiclesMISCAhassuccessfullyescortedfromtheCameroonbordertotheCARcapital,sincetheMissionwaslaunchedon19December2013.ThesupplieswillbehandedovertotheCARauthorities,inaccordancewithinternationalHumanRightsandHumanitarianlaw.

MISCA completes escort of humanitarian supplies

Further reading: www.peaceau.org`

On 14March, theMinisterialWorking Group on Tourismmet in Seychelles to discussstrategies on how to makean African brand throughtourism while attractingvisitors to choose Africa asmajor destination in thecontextofAUAgenda2063.

Commissioner forInfrastructure and Energy,Dr. Elham Mamoud Ibrahimin her opening speech saidthat, “This strategy whichenvisages Africa’s prosperity

in the next 50 years since2013 isknownas theAfricanUnion (AU) Agenda 2063.It will be comprehensiveand articulate on theaspirations of the Africanpeoples in all their socio-economicendeavours”. TheCommissioner added thatthe AUC is well aware ofthehugedirectand indirectcontribution of tourism tothe economies of Africancountriesatbothmacroandmicrolevels.

Tourism within Agenda 2063 The ministers requestedthe AUC to engagewith the UNWTO tosign a Memorandumof Understanding onCooperation in tourismdevelopment strategies inAfricaasoneoftheconcreteoutcomes to move agenda2063forward.

Further reading: www.ie.au.int

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AU WEEKLY

18-22March

10thComprehensiveAfricaAgricultureDevelopmentProgrammePartnershipPlatform

Durban,SouthAfrica

Dept.ofRuralEconomyandAgriculture

DATE EVENT VENUE DEPARTMENT CONTACT

18March

ParticipationofthePSCChairatthePan-AfricanParliamentlothAnniversaryDayCelebrationasa“SpecialGuest”

SouthAfrica

UPCOMING EVENTS

21-24March

Extra-OrdinaryConferenceofAfricanMinistersofEconomyandFinance(CAMEF)

Abuja,Nigeria

24March

ConsiderationoftheReportoftheChairpersonoftheCommissiononthesituationsinMaliandtheSahel;

BriefingontheSituationinSomalia

AfricanUnion,AddisAbaba,Ethiopia

PeaceandSecurity

25March

OpensessiononmitigatingvulnerabilitiesofwomenandchildreninarmedconflictsinAfrica

AfricanUnion,AddisAbaba,Ethiopia

PeaceandSecurity

19-24March

17thEditionoftheAfrica–ArabFairon“EnhancingAfrica-ArabCooperationinHealthand

Casablanca,Morocco