AU seeks to resolve African crisis

ETHIOPIA: African leaders sought consensus Sunday on a fresh strategy to tackle continental trouble spots at a summit in the Ethiopian capital. The leaders were expected to thrash out a deal on how to end the two-month old crisis in Ivory Coast where incumbent leader Laurent Gbagbo has clung to power despite November polls giving victory to his rival Alassane Ouattara.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, who is attending the pan-African body’s two-day summit, said late Saturday that a recount of the disputed ballot would be a “grave injustice.”

“Reopening the results of the election would be a grave injustice and set an unfortunate precedent,” said Ban. He underlined the importance of a “peaceful and honorable exit” for Gbagbo, and urged “President Ouattara to form a national unity government.” The AU on Friday announced the setting up of a five-member heads of state panel to make binding recommendations on the Ivory Coast rivals within a month.

AU Commission chief Jean Ping said Saturday the panel would help Ouattara “exercise power” through a negotiated deal.

The summit is also expected to discuss the political turmoil in Tunisia which brought an end to the 23-year rule of president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali earlier this month.

The deadly protests in Egypt are also set to be a top issue. Ping on Saturday said the bloc was concerned by the riots that have claimed dozens of lives since Tuesday.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy, the summit’s guest of honour, will make a a speech on his plans for upcoming G8 and G20 meetings, stressing development aid and transparency in markets of commodities, particularly agricultural products.

A key agenda of the Summit will be the appointment of the bloc’s next chairman. Equatorial Guinea’s Teodoro Obiang Nguema is lined up to replace Malawi’s Bingu wa Mutharika.

However, observers have berated his candidature, citing the poor human rights record of a president who came to power in a 1979 coup, toppling his own uncle whom he later had shot, and ruling the country since with an iron fist.

AFP