Call for unity at 19th AU Summit
GOVERNMENT
By BiztechAfrica - July 16, 2012, 7:04 a.m.
Heads of State meeting in Addis Ababa for the 19th African Union Summit say Africa is becoming a pole for economic growth.
AU Chairperson, Dr. Boni Yayi, President of the Republic of Benin said at the official opening of the Summit yesterday that the continent’s economic prospects looked positive. “Africa is fast becoming a pole of economic growth”, he said. President Yayi explained that this is an opportunity to lift Africa from poverty and help in the efforts to attain the MDGs.
In his address, Dr. Jean Ping, Chairperson of the AU Commission, said the summit is an opportunity to sensitize the Heads of State on the importance of boosting intra-African trade, given that intra African trade currently stands at only 10%.
He underscored the need to strengthen unity and African solidarity on the continent.
Ping also expressed satisfaction on the resilience of the continent in the face of the global economic crisis.
Also at the Summit, South Africa’s Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma won a close battle and became the first woman elected to head of the African Union Commission.
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