AU Monitor Weekly Roundup

The AU Monitor's Monthly Discussion Paper Series presents its current paper, based on the "Open Letter to Africa's Present and Future Leaders" written by the 2007 Archbishop Desmond Tutu Fellows. Among other recommendations, the letter urges "the establishment of a high-level African Union led campaign to fight tribalism and inequality in all its forms across the continent." Forum members are encouraged to contribute to the discussion and answer the proposed questions.

This week's AU Monitor brings you news from the African Union, where only half of its member states have ratified the Protocol establishing the African Human Rights Court. The Court's President Gerard Niungeko urges the remaining African states to ratify the protocol to enable "individuals and non-governmental organizations to approach the Court with their cases".

The second ordinary session of the AU Conference of ministers in charge of Youth (COMY) has called on the private sector to implement youth activities at national and sub-national levels in order for youth to play a significant role in the development of the continent. It was concluded that "Africa's victory against poverty, violence, insecurity and bad governance lies in the continent's capacity to empower the youth so that they could take control and develop its resources".
In other AU news, the AU Commission and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) will meet this week to exchange views on recent African developments, human security concerns and discuss ways of enhancing economic growth on the continent.

Mozambique, considered one of the strongest economic performers in Sub-Saharan Africa, will host the 43rd Annual Meetings of the African Development Bank (AfDB) in May 2008. The meeting will bring together 1500 participants and is being held on the theme: "Fostering Shared Growth: Urbanization, Inequality and Poverty".
In U.S.-Africa news, Ambassador Cindy Courville, the first full-time U.S. envoy to the African Union (AU), speaks of a growing U.S.-Africa relationship and highlights the monetary assistance the U.S. has provided for the continent.

While Abid Aslam reports on the recent visit of U.S. President George Bush to Africa as being a way to "polish his image and advance U.S. interests", highlighting both positive and negative U.S. initiatives in Africa, Horace Campbell outlines the motives behind Bush's visit as an attempt to coerce African countries to sign on to the proposed U.S. Africa Command (Africom). Campbell calls for activists to "oppose the plans for the remilitarization of Africa under the guise of fighting terrorism in Africa".

In regional news, the East African Community (EAC) Secretary General Ambassador Juma Mwapuchu has stated that the Kenyan situation has affected regional integration processes and has had ramifications on the entire EAC region. Ambassador Mwapuchu pledges that his organization will play a central role in resolving the political situation in Kenya.

Also regarding the situation in Kenya, a coalition of Kenyan human rights organizations have presented a Memorandum to the African Commission on Human and People's Rights (ACHPR), addressing concerns and recommendations to restore peace in Kenya following the contested presidential ballot of December 2007.

In environmental news, the Community of Sahel-Saharan States (CEN-SAD) recently held a conference on their "great greenbelt initiative", a 15 km wide greenbelt containing wildlife that can serve the region's economic interests as well as the development of a network of inland basins and other social infrastructure. Further, Peter Bosshard of International Rivers analyzes the potential downside to China's State Environmental Protection Agency's (SEPA) Equator Principles, highlighting that it could serve as a risk to regions with weaker environmental standards, such as Africa.

Finally, a recent reception of the African Capacity Building Foundation (ACBF) called for countries to intensify capacity building efforts by mobilizing existing resources, in order to increase development of the continent and end dependency on Western countries.