28 Jun 2018

President Mokgweetsi Masisi leaves tomorrow (June 30) for Nouakchott, Mauritania to attend his first African Union summit as head of state.

He has previously attended AU summits as vice president.

The July 1-2 summit is to be held under the theme: “Winning the fight against corruption: A sustainable Path to Africa’s Transformation”.

Botswana Ambassador in Ethiopia and AU permanent representative, Ms Mamosadinyana Molefe said in an interview that there would be a panel discussion on the theme on the first day of the summit.

She said deliberations would be led by President Muhammadu Buhari of Nigeria, the theme champion.

“Botswana will make an intervention during the discussions to give a synopsis of what she has done and share experiences in the fight against corruption,” Ms Molefe said.

The theme, she said, was chosen on the basis that Africa could not realise her Agenda 2063 aspirations if there was no political will to combat corruption.

Accordingly, the summit would adopt some measures to assist member states to find lasting solutions to corruption challenges in the continent, she said.

Ms Molefe further said the summit would deliberate on key issues on such as the ongoing process of institutional reforms.

“The meeting will get an appreciation of the status of progress on the implementation of the past decisions on the institutional reforms of AU,” she stated.

Ambassador Molefe said a progress report on the African Continental Free Trade Area from President Mohamadou Issoufou of Niger would be considered as well as adoption of additional legal instrument to the agreement.

Other reports on the agenda include that of the Peace and Security Council as well as the 2019 budget.

The previous 30th summit, which was held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia concluded with the adoption of key decisions including three flagship projects of Agenda 2063.

Among them was the realisation of a Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM) envisaged to bring about enhanced connectivity across the continent leading to sustainable development of the aviation and tourism industry with immense contribution to economic growth, job creation, prosperity and integration of Africa.

SAATM was recognised as vital to achieving the long-term vision of an integrated, prosperous and peaceful Africa hence the decision to establish it.

So far, a total of 23 member states, including Botswana, declared their solemn commitment to the immediate implementation of the Yamoussoukro Decision towards establishment of SAATM.            

Minister of International Affairs and Cooperation Dr Unity Dow and other senior government officials will accompany President Masisi. They return home on July 3. ENDS