JAK Returns From African Union Meeting

President John Agyekum Kufuor returned home on Wednesday morning from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, after attending the first extraordinary meeting of the African Union (AU).

Foreign Minister, Hackman Owusu-Agyemang said the meeting dilated on the proposed amendment to the Constitutive Act of the AU to ensure that the organisation operates effectively. The meeting also urged member countries not to initiate any treaties that were inconsistent with the AU Charter.

The Summit also discussed trouble spots in member countries including Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo and Cote d'Ivoire and urged member states to speed up the peace process in those areas.

According to the Foreign Minister, President Kufuor led a discussion on the Ivorian crisis and the way forward. It was agreed that the contact group be engaged in shuttle diplomacy to bring a lasting solution to the crisis.

President Kufuor, Chairman of ECOWAS was tasked by the AU to ensure a speedy implementation of the French accord on crisis in Cote d'Ivoire. President Kufuor also took opportunity to hold bilateral discussions with leaders of Nigeria, Niger and Equatorial Guinea. The latter agreed to open a mission in Accra.