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By François Koundouno
Rabat – The president of the African Union commission launched, o, Thursday 25, the organization’s executive council. In his opening speech, Moussa Faki Mahamat stressed Africa’s financial independence, Paul Kagame’s (the new president of the AU) reforms, and the fight against corruption. These, Mahamat said, are Africa’s top priorities in 2018.
Still angry with Trump
Opening the ceremony in Nelson Mandela Conference hall at the AU’s headquarters in Addis-Ababa, Mahamat said that “Africa has still not digested “Donald Trump’s utterly shocking, disdainful, hateful and exclusive statements.” Trump’s “shithole” declaration, together with his decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital show, according to Mahamat, that “multilateralism is facing a dire crisis”.
“Africa must stand united; she must push towards more integration, peace, and prosperity” so that it can become “proud” and “earn the respect of the world”, Mahamat added.
Africa 2018 priorities
Corruption is a major impediment to Africa’s dream of sustainable growth and prosperity, Mahamat said. And so, to ensure a step forward in 2018, Africa must declare “a global war against corruption.”
With the Rwandan president Paul Kagame as the new president of the African Union, the summit declared thee major axes as Africa’s top priorities in 2018, of which the launching of a free-trade zone. Moussa Mahamat talked about finalizing the 2016 project of a common AU market which will guarantee freedom of movement in the organization’s 55 member states.
Ending AU’s financial dependence
It is still unsettling that AU’s budget is in majority financed by foreign aid. In 2017, external contribution to the AU’s budget was 74%. The goal, Mahamat said, is to reduce such an “unbearable financial dependency” by reducing it to 59% in 2018.
Today’s opening was also marked by the election of the new members of AU’s Peace and Security Council. Discussions will also touch upon the coordination of African efforts for a more United African stance in international or multilateral organizations.
