30th AU summit kicks off with envoys session

ADDIS ABABA, Jan. 25 — Under the framework of the 30th African
Union (AU) summit, the 35th ordinary session of the AU Permanent
Representatives Committee (PRC) officially opened on Monday at the
headquarter of the pan-African bloc in Ethiopia’s capital Addis Ababa.

The meeting brings together ambassadors of the 55 AU member states based in
Addis Ababa and key AU officials, among others.Under the main theme of the
summit, “Winning the Fight against Corruption: A Sustainable Path to
Africa’s Transformation,” the PRC session will consider and deliberate on
issues related to agriculture, transport, science and technology,
information and communication technology as well as on issues related to
legal and financial matters, according to Moussa Faki Mahamat, Chairperson
of the AU Commission.

In his opening remarks, Mahamat reiterated that AU member states should
play a primary role in the fight against corruption, which the pan-African
bloc focuses on the year 2018 and beyond.”The relevance of the choice of
this is obvious because of the scope of the scourge of corruption on the
continent with its devastative effects on economic development, corrosion
for our social cohesion and destabilizing our political order,” he said.The
AU commission would do its best and implement decisions that would be
adopted, said the chairperson, adding “the primary responsibility rests
upon the shoulder of the member states.”Mahamat further called on AU member
states to more resolutely fight against illegal and illicit financial
flow.He has also reiterated the importance of the AU reform towards the
effectiveness of the union.”I would like to stress the crucial importance
of this reform, its conclusion is a guarantee for an increased
effectiveness of our union in order to make it a tool that is likely to
carry for our ambitions and translate it into deeds,” he said.”It is the
very condition over financial independence which itself guarantees that we
take our destiny in our hand and our decision making sovereignty,” he said,
adding “without this independence Africa is nothing.”

The PRC meeting will prepare the agenda of the AU Summit with appropriate
recommendations for consideration by the Executive Council, comprising AU
foreign ministers, and scheduled to take place from Jan. 25 to 26.During
the opening of the PRC session it was noted that the issue related to U.S.
President Donald Trump’s recent remarks describing African nations as
“shithole countries” would be considered and a declaration would be issued
by the AU Commission on the matter. – XINHUA