AFRICAN UNION: NEW LEADERSHIP IN THE FACE OF GROWING CHALLENGES

BY AJONG MBAPNDAH  L  http://www.panafricanvisions.com/

New blood has been injected into the African Union (AU) in the face of growing challenges for the continent.  H. E Jakaya Kekwete President of the Republic of Tanzania is the new Chairperson of the African Union in replacement of Ghanaian leader John Kuffour.

Gabonese Foreign Affairs Minister, Jean Ping, has been elected as the new Chairperson of the African Union Commission (AUC).

The election took place during the 10th Ordinary Session of the African Union Assembly of Heads of State and Government in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Mr. Jean Ping was elected with a two thirds majority vote of the Assembly in conformity with the African Union rules of procedure in matters of elections for a four-year mandate at the helm of the AUCommission. He will be replacing the outgoing Chairperson of the Commission, Professor Alpha Oumar Konaré, from the Republic of Mali, who has was the head of the African Union Commission from September 2003 up to date.

On another note, Kenyan born Mr. Erastus Mwencha was elected as the Deputy Chairperson of the African of the African Union commission to replace Mr. Patrick Mazimhaka; from the Republic of Rwanda.Mr Mwencha is currently the Secretary General of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA). The elections were chaired by the newly elected Chairperson of the African Union (AU).

 Seven (07) Commissioners out of the eight portfolios of the African Union Commission were elected today, Friday 2nd February 2008, within the framework of the 10th Ordinary Session of the African Union Summit of Heads of State and Government in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. 

The elections took place under the chairmanship of the new Chair of the Executive Council who is also the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the United Republic of Tanzania, Honourable Bernard Membe.

The new Commissioners of the African Union are:

Peace and Security Mr. Ramtane Lamamra (Algeria), Political Affairs, Mrs. Julia Dolly Joiner (Gambia), Infrastructure and Energy Mrs. Elham Mahmood Ahmed Ibrahim (Egypt), Social Affairs Advocate. Bience Philomina Gawanas (Namibia, Human Resources, Science and Technology, Mr. Jean Pierre Onvehoun Ezin (Benin), Trade and Industry, Mrs. Elizabeth Tankeu (Cameroon), Economic Affairs Dr. Maxwell Mkwezalamba (Malawi)

Regarding the post for the Commissioner of Rural Economy and Agriculture, the new Commissioner will be elected at an extraordinary meeting of the Council of Ministers billed for Arusha, Tanzania, in the first week of April 2008.
The election was postponed to conform to the African Union rules in respect to regional and Gender balance. Of Africa’s five regions, the eastern region did not have a female commissioner during the election. The post of Commissioner for Rural Economy and Agriculture has therefore been reserved for a female candidate from the eastern region.

The new leadership comes in at a time when the continent is facing challenges.  With a strong personality which made some leaders uncomfortable the former African Union Commission Chairman Alpha Oumar Konare from Mali, the pace of progress within the Union remained too slow for the comfort of most Africans. Calls from leaders like Ghaddafi to speed up the integration process of the country have not found favourable echo with a majority of the leaders.

Besides crises in Darfur that have continued to rage on , the situation in Kenya and Chad  has helped to expose the limitations in the ability of the Union to act decisively in addressing burning issues. That Mwai Kibaki at the centre of the political crises in Kenya was allowed to attend the recent African Union Summit is a sign that the leaders are more often than not interested in the protection of their pairs and not the collective yearnings of the African people. The dust had hardly settled on the Summit when fighting engulfed the Chadian capital Ndjamena with rebels bringing the leadership of President Idriss Derby to the brink. The litany of grudges against President Derby include the abrogation of term limits imposed by the constitution to foister himself to a third term. The Chairmanship of President Kikwete and Jean Ping will have to work round the clock in the quest of urgent solutions to this and many challenges that face the African Union.

Both President Kikwete and new Commission Chairman come in with a strong wealth of experience that will help in the discharge of their new duties. At about 56, President Kikwete is one of the youngest leaders in the continent but with some three decades of public service under his belt, he has nothing to envy from others in terms of experience.  His public service stints include some ten years as Foreign Minister of Tanzania .Using the venerable Mwalimu Julius Nyerere as role model, Kikwete’s humility and sincerity have endeared him to the hearts of many and make him one of the most dynamic leaders in the continent today.
African Union Commission incoming Chairman Jean Ping served as President of the 59th Session of the United Nations General Assembly. He began his professional life at the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in Paris. He served as Permanent Delegate of the Gabon to UNESCO. Through the 1990s, Ping successively held variety of appointments at the ministerial level. He has extensive experience in international and regional diplomacy. His distinguished 35 year career in government and international arena was marked by several diplomatic successes, notably his contribution to restore peace and stability, in Central Africa, Republic of Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Chad, and Burundi, among others. Born in November 1942 in Omboue, in the Etimbwe region of Gabon, Ping is the author of several publications. He is married and has children. Ping was elected among the six candidates in the race for AU Commission Chairmanship to replace the outgoing AU Commission Chairman Professor Alpha Oumar Konaré, who held the position since 2003 and was the President of Mali for two five-year terms.