Mubarak congratulates Chiluba on summit's success
Egypt-Zambia, Politics, 7/12/2001

The Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak congratulated his Zambian counterpart Frederick Chiluba on the success of the 37th African Summit that closed in Lusaka Wednesday.

Mubarak looked forward to work with Zambia for a better future for Africa, Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Maher told Chiluba before flying back to Egypt.

"Foreign Minister Ahmed Maher attended the Summit on behalf of President Mubarak.

The two sides had agreed to boost bilateral relations in all domains, with emphasis on three-way Egypt-Zambia-Japan cooperation," said Egyptian Ambassador in Lusaka Abdel Ghafaar El-Deeb.

It is noteworthy that the African Summit closed down its proceedings in Lusaka yesterday.

The African heads of state held an in-camera meeting on Wednesday morning. Sources close to the African Summit said that the African leaders would complete discussions on items table on the Summit agenda in preparation for the resolutions.

The sources said that the African leaders would discuss during the session the African action plan, known as "Omega" which was proposed by Senegal.

They will also discuss prospects for Morocco joining the African Union, which was proposed by Gambia.

The African Summit called on the remaining African countries to ratify the African Union's Constitute Act.

The act came into force on May 26, thirty days after its ratification by 36 countries, or two-thirds of the OAU member states.

The 37th African Summit decided to authorize the Organization of African Unity's secretary-general to coordinate with OAU member states with regard to the establishment of the African Union and its institutions.

The Summit also called on the OAU's general secretariat and regional economic organizations to concert efforts with regard to promoting the African Union.

It also decided to dismantle the OAU's economic and social committee, so that a council would be set up within the framework of the new African Union.

The Summit also asked the OAU's chief to prepare a comprehensive report on the Union's would be technical committees.

It called on all African countries to ratify a protocol on the establishment of the African parliament as soon as possible.

The Summit asserted that May 25 would continue to be Africa's Day. It also affirmed Africa would comply with resolutions on combating AIDS, among a number of endemic diseases.

The Summit urged an immediate and final lifting of "unfair" sanctions on Libya. The Summiteers, meanwhile, appreciated Egypt's hosting of a forum on the welfare of African children.

The member countries were urged to reconfirm their commitment to the welfare of African children and be inspired by the recommendations made by the Cairo gathering.

Libyan leader Mummar Gaddafi termed the Lusaka Summit as a landmark in Africa's history. "There are foreign conspiracies which seek to block Africa's drive and the march of the African Union" he told the closing session of the Summit.

The Lusaka get-together was the last of the Organization of African Unity (OAU), which is replaced by the recently created African Union.

On the other hand, the African Summit elected the members of the African Human Rights Committee at a session held late on Tuesday until Wednesday morning.

"The member states include Mozambique, Algeria, Sudan and Burkina Faso," said Suliman Awad, assistant foreign minister for international multilateral relations.

"The African leaders also endorsed a report on the African taskforce in New York entrusted with widening the Security Council membership," he said.

"The Summit charged the taskforce with studying all related aspects of the expansion issue," he added.

Back in 1997, the African leaders agreed that the African states succeed each other on filling two seats in the council once it was expanded in a show of African solidarity rather than competition or confrontation.

Previous Stories:
  Mubarak sends message to Zambian president   (7/7/2001)
  Moussa visits Zambia   (4/26/2000)
  Egyptian FM to head to Zambia on Wednesday   (4/24/2000)

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