4 July 2005

President Thabo Mbeki travels to Libya this week for the African Union Summit, ahead of the G8 summit in Scotland later in the week.

The African leaders will receive the scale of assessment report, which deals with member states' financial obligations to the African Union. A report by the council of ministers has proposed in principle that Africa's five big economies share the financial burden of the AU.

Peace and Security Council commissioner Said Djinnit said at the weekend that South Africa, Nigeria, Egypt, Liberia and Libya, agreed in principle to jointly pay 65 percent of the budget.

"This is great for Africa and we applaud them," he said during the 7th Executive Council of Ministers.

The commissioner added that it would be up to the heads of state to endorse the report and if they do so the five countries would then start paying the contributions as agreed.

African leaders will also receive the Ezulwini Consensus report, which proposes two permanent African seats with veto powers in the reformed United Nations Security Council (UNSC), and five none-permanent seats.

Djinnit has denied suggestions that there was "bickering" about who in Africa would represent the continent on the UNSC.

South Africa, Nigeria, Egypt, Angola, Kenya, Senegal have expressed their candidacy for seats in the reformed UNSC.

"That has never been the issue, because we said Africa will select the candidates for the United Nations Security Council when the time comes.

"The priority now is on the need to secure the seats and when it's time for Africa to select its candidate it will select," said Djinnit.

The AU summit ends tomorrow with the adoption of a number of reports.

Thereafter Mbeki and other leaders including Nigeria's Olusegun Obasanjo will head for Scotland to attend the summit of the world's richest nations, the G8 on 6-8 July, where Africa's debt, aid and climate change will take centre stage.

The African leaders will try and persuade the industrialised nations to totally cancel the continent's debt, they will also push for trade reforms and more aid for Africa.

Source BuaNews

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