Nigeria to host special AU Summit on Jan 30th

Accra, Jan. 25 GNA - Nigeria is to host a special African Union (AU) Summit at the Federal Capital, Abuja on January 30, 2005 to consider a common defence and security policy for the Continental Body. The AU High-Level Committee of Heads of State and Government on the Non-Aggression Pact and the Common Defence and Security in Africa meeting on January 29th would precede the summit.

Ghana's Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo said this on Tuesday at a day's meeting of Foreign Ministers from Ghana, South Africa, Congo, Ethiopia, Algeria and Mozambique whose governments form the High-Level Committee.

He said the Accra meeting was to prepare the ground for the January 29 Abuja meeting as well as elaborate on the common position of the fundamental issues of defence and security on the Continent. Nana Akufo-Addo said a working document on issues relating to non-aggression, common defence and security of the Continent would be submitted to President John Agyekum Kufuor after the meeting for onward transmission to his colleague Heads of State forming the Committee at the Abuja Summit.

President Kufuor is Chairman of the Committee of Heads of State and Government established to examine issues relating to non-aggression, common defence and common security in Africa.

Members of the Committee are the Heads of State of Algeria; Republic of Congo; Ethiopia and South Africa. It also has Mozambique, the immediate past Chairman of the Africa Union as Ex-Officio Member. Nana Akufo-Addo stressed the need for a consensus that would enable the AU to continue to strengthen its institutions and policies to propel the Union for the future.