AU Ghana Summit in July

Addis Ababa, Jan 31, GNA - African Political Leaders have resolved to dedicate their next ordinary Summit to be held in Ghana in July, to the single item agenda of a roadmap to establishing a Union Government for the region.

This is to honour the pioneering role Ghana and its first President, Dr Kwame Nkrumah played in the formation of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), now transformed into African Union (AU). The decision was part of declarations made at the Union's two-day Eighth Ordinary Session of Heads of States and Government that ended in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, on Wednesday.

The leaders re-affirmed their decision to allocate at least 10 per cent of their national budget to agriculture to reduce the continent's annual expenditure of 20 billion dollars on agricultural imports. Besides, an African Education Fund is to be established through voluntary contributions of the member countries of the AU.

On the situation in Somalia, they called for immediate deployment of the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), a stabilization force, to that country.

They also called on member countries and AU partners to support the Transitional Federal Institutions.

Regarding Sudan, they encouraged the AU, the United Nations, and the Sudan Government to speed up the process of implementation of the conclusions reached based on their high level consultations, to enable the world body, as a matter of urgency, take all necessary measures for the funding of the peace support operation in Darfur.

The Heads of State and Government also appealed to the international community to give the necessary assistance to countries emerging from conflicts to enable them consolidate peace and stability.