African Union campaigns for conflict-free Africa

21 July 2010, Afrique en ligne
URL: http://www.afriquejet.com/news/africa-news/african-union-campaigns-for-conflict-free-africa-2010071552849.html

Au campaigns for conflict-free Africa - The African Union (AU) has named Nobel Peace Prize winners, leading sports personalities and musicians to lead a campaign for a conflict-free Africa, which is expected to climax on 21 September.

Former South African President Fredrick de Klerk, Archbishop Desmond Tutu of Sou th Africa and wife of South African former President Nelson Mandela, Graca Machel, are among 12 key personalities selected to an advisory board to lead the campaign.

The other notable members of the peace panel are Kenya's Prof. Wangari Maathai, whose campaign for the conservation of forests and trees to ensure green future won her the 2004 Nobel Peace Prize; the immediate former Chairperson of the AU and former President of Mali, Prof. Alpha Konare, is also on the peace panel.

The panel also includes almost all the former Organisation of African Unity (OAU) Secretaries-General: Amara Essy, Edem Kodjo and Salim Ahmed Salim.

Others are former Congolese Prime Minister Henri Lopes and Kenya's Bethwel Kip lagat.

Sudanese telecom mogul, Mohamed Ibrahim, the founder of the Mo Ibrahim Foundation that has sought to reward Africa's best performing leaders, is also on the list.

The AU has also drawn up a list of 14 top musicians, artists and leading African footballers on the world stage, including Ghana's Michael Essien, and African football legend, Abedi Pele of Ghana.

The others are Waris Dirie, Rabah Madjer and Sadok Sassi.

The group is due to hold a meeting in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Friday to discuss the specific details of the peace campaign.

'Meetings shall be held with members of the programme's Advisory Council and Peace Ambassadors to exchange views on and finalise the details of their work programme for the rest of the year,' the AU said.

'We have come up with a list of people who would help this International Year of Peace, based on specific areas where they have a background,' an AU official told PANA.

The political leaders would help to work out a comprehensive plan to help Africa achieve lasting peace, while the campaign seeks to raise the profile of ongoing peace negotiations in Africa and also attempts to show the continent's leadership is not lax in tackling conflicts.

African leaders, meeting in Tripoli, Libya, in 2009, ordered the launch of the International Year of Peace to reflect on the suffering the continent was undergoing as a result of the intense conflicts, which have caused losses in most parts of the continent.

It is estimated that Africa has lost US$ 300 billion over the last 20 years due to conflicts.

Addis Ababa - Pana 15/07/2010