AU summit Opens

From Maureen Shikuboni in Ethiopia

AU summit Opens

Addis Ababa, May 20/13—–About 75 Heads of State and government representatives from Africa are expected to attend the 21^st Africa Union (AU) Summit which opened on Sunday and runs up to the 27^th of May 2013, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

According to statement released by the Africa Union (AU) Commission in Addis Ababa today, 450 journalists have been accredited  to cover the  activities of the Summit anchored on the Theme ‘’ Pan –Africanism and African Renaissance’’.

The AU kicked off on Sunday the 21^st of May with the 26^th Ordinary Session of Permanent Representatives Committee (PRC) which is discussing items on the agenda in preparation for the AU Summit. This will be followed by the 23^rd Ordinary Session of Executive Council from the 22^nd to the 23^rd of May.

Ordinary sessions of the AU Summit are usually held twice a year – in January and July –  but this Summit has come in May just to coincide with the Celebrations of the Golden Jubilee of the Pan African Organisation which will take place on the May 25, the  Africa Freedom Day, the day the Organisation of Africa Unity (OAU) was established.

 According to the programme released by the AU Commission, the celebrations will take place on May 25, Africa Freedom Day, with a grand debate on ‘’Pan-Africanism and African Renaissance”. There will also be festivities at the Millennium Hall in Addis Ababa which will be open to the public.

The OAU was established in 1963 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Zambia joined the OAU in 1963.

Meanwhile the 21^st Ordinary Session of Assembly of the African Union is scheduled to take place on the 26^th and 27^th of May, 2013.