Right from the onset , and unsurprisingly so, Mugabes appointment as 1st vice chair of the African Union Bureau is posing huge challenges as the group has declared, that African leaders will not attend the up-coming Europe-Africa Summit if the European grouping fails to invite Mugabe. The AU also called on its members to unite against criminal proceedings at the International Criminal Court (ICC) against sitting presidents. Only Botswana has opposed the AUs stand on the matter, made in a statement received on Saturday after a summit in Ethiopia attended by 34 leaders. Kenyas president and his deputy face charges of crimes against humanity at the ICC in The Hague for allegedly orchestrating post-election violence in which more than 1 000 people were killed following a disputed presidential election in late 2007. Botswanas position along with President Khamas withdrawal from the SADC electoral monitoring body, lend credibility to his commitment to building and strengthening democracy in Africa.
Posted on: Sun, 02 Feb 2014 00:00:17 +0000