Chronicle Editor
Takunda Maodza in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
PRESIDENT Mnangagwa arrived here yesterday for the 32nd Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the African Union.
He was accompanied by First Lady Amai Auxillia Mnangagwa and Government officials including the Deputy Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet, Mr George Charamba.
He was welcomed at the Bole International Airport by Foreign Affairs and International Trade Minister Dr Sibusiso Moyo, who was already in Addis Ababa, and Zimbabwe’s Ambassador to Ethiopia and Permanent Representative to the AU, Mr Albert Chimbindi.
Also at the airport to welcome him was Ethiopia’s Transport Minister, Ms Moges Dagmawit.
The summit is running under the theme, “The year of refugees, returnees and internally displaced persons: Towards durable solutions to forced displacement in Africa”.
Zimbabwe is home to over 11 000 registered refugees and asylum seekers. They comprise Congolese, Mozambicans, Rwandese, Burundians, Ethiopians, Malians, Ugandans and Somalis. Africa is home to 6,3 million refugees and 14,5 million internally displaced people.
As leaders meet in Addis Ababa there is a proposal to shift the portfolio for refugees and displaced persons from the political affairs department.
The idea is to shift the AU Commission’s humanitarian affairs, refugees and displaced persons division to the new department for health, humanitarian affairs and social department as part of reforms envisaged by the continental body.
Besides the refugees and the internally displaced, the summit will appoint a new AU chair, who will succeed President Paul Kagame of Rwanda.
President Mnangagwa was seen off the Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport by Vice President Kembo Mohadi, Defence and War Veterans Minister Oppah Muchinguri Kashiri, Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet, Dr Misheck Sibanda, service chiefs and other senior government officials.
VP Mohadi is the Acting President.
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derick.khumalo