Nigeria takes AU hot seat
Matome Sebelebele
8 July 2004
Nigerian President Olesugun Obasanjo has taken over from Mozambican President Joaquim Chissano as chairperson of the African Union (AU), while Nigerian Foreign Minister Olu Adeniji has been elected to head the AU's executive council for the next 12 months, as the continental body navigates an intricate path towards a future Africa free of poverty, underdevelopment and conflict.
Obasanjo also heads the heads of state implementation committee of the New Partnership for Africa's Development (Nepad), the AU's socio-economic development blueprint.
Adeniji vowed after his appointment not to disappoint Africans both on the continent and Diaspora, as well as "friends and donor communities", in tackling "critical challenges facing the young transformed and rejuvenated organisation".
Adeniji said Nigeria would use the AU commission's newly unveiled mission, vision and programmes as a guiding torch in its work to build institutional capacity and
regional integration while stimulating economic growth on the continent.
Nigeria will have to prove its worth in dealing with the long-running conflicts in the Sudanese region of Durfar and tensions between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo - where President Obasanjo has already taken a lead by facilitating dialogue between the two neighbouring states.
Like South Africa before it, Nigeria will be judged on how well it puts out the fires in the region using its political and military power.
Nigeria and South Africa are among the the largest financial and military contributors to the AU's missions and instruments.
The AU has undergone drastic policy and structural change since it was launched in Durban in 2002, when Pretoria was given the daunting task of transforming the 39-year-old Organisation of African Unity.
South Africa was first to take the AU's reins based on its well-documented experience of having successfully transformed itself into
a stable democracy.
South Africa worked tirelessly in promoting the "infant" US by introducing it to multilateral organs such the United Nations, the Caribbean Community, Asian and Arab leagues and the European Union, where it was welcomed and endorsed as Africa's mother body.
On taking over the reins in 2003, Mozambique managed to help set up and launch some of the key AU organs, notably the Peace and Security Council and the Pan African Parliament.
Now it is up to Nigeria to deliver on the AU's policy goals, as well as finalise the launch of its remaining organs.
Source: BuaNews
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