21 Feb 2013

The African Union’s region of Africans living in the diaspora is still an idea yet to be fully developed and adopted by the African Union (AU).

The Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Mr Phandu Skelemani told Parliament that the idea as propagated by Senegal, was currently under discussion and the AU commission had been tasked to conduct an in-depth feasibility study on the diaspora on the sixth region of the AU.

He said the commission had not concluded its research and was yet to report to the AU executive council on the matter.

He also noted that there was no formal collaboration between the AU sixth region on the diaspora and AU member states including Botswana.

Minister Skelemani furthermore said Botswana continued to be involved in international efforts aimed at formalising a structure consisting of Africans in the diaspora that would collaborate with the AU.

He said it was in this regard that the Minister of Labour and Home Affairs led the Botswana delegation to the AU Summit in South Africa which deliberated on Global African diaspora from May 23-25 last year.

Shoshong MP, Mr Phillip Makgalemele had wanted to know whether Botswana had any collaboration with the AU’s sixth region of Africans living in the diaspora, and the extent to which the ministry mobilises Batswana living in the diaspora to be part of this region especially in the area of investment and support on poverty eradication initiatives.  ENDS