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The Herald, 24 May, 1988
PRESIDENT Mugabe arrived in the Ethiopian capital yesterday evening to attend today’s PTA mini-summit and tomorrow’s OAU annual meeting.
This will be the first time that Cde Mugabe will attend both the OAU and PTA meetings since he was inaugurated as Zimbabwe’s first Executive President last December.
Cde Mugabe was met at the airport by Ethiopian President Mengistu Haile Mariam, Zimbabwe Foreign Minister Nathan Shamuyarira, OAU Secretary-General Ide Oumaru, PTA Secretary-General Bax Nomvete and other senior Ethiopian leaders.
Zimbabwe’s Deputy Minister for Finance, Economic Planning and Development, Dr Tichaendepi Masaya, was also at the airport to welcome the President.
Cde Mugabe is one of many African leaders who started gathering in Addis Ababa to celebrate the 25th anniversary celebrations of the founding of the OAU on May 25, 1963.
The President, who was accompanied by several senior Government officials, was seen off at the Harare International Airport by Vice President Muzenda, senior ministers, Cabinet ministers and members of the diplomatic corps.
Among the other leaders who arrived in Addis Ababa were current OAU Chairman and Zambian President Kenneth Kaunda, Tanzanian President Ali Hassan Mwinyi, Ugandan President and current Chairman of the PTA Yoweri Museveni and Mozambican Premier Mario Machungo.
Meanwhile, an OAU Council of Ministers meeting was scheduled to reconvene at midnight to debate and adopt several resolutions on various issues they have been discussing since last Thursday.
Among some of the major issues that the foreign ministers were to make their recommendations on to the heads of state and government are the report of a 12-member contact group set up by the OAU to investigate the possibility of an international conference on Africa’s debt burden, the adverse security situation Africa’s debt burden, the dumping of nuclear Waste in Africa and the declaration marking OAU’s silver jubilee.
LESSONS FOR TODAY
Tomorrow the continent celebrates Africa Day and commemorates the 61st Anniversary since its formation as the Organisation of Africa Unity (now the African Union) on 25 May, 1963.
Africa Day is an opportunity to celebrate and acknowledge the successes of the Organisation of African Unity (now the AU) from its formation on May 25, 1963, in the fight against colonialism and apartheid, as well as the progress that Africa has made, while reflecting upon the common challenges that the continent faces.
The continental body is celebrating its 61st edition on the back of registering successes in the decolonisation and the struggles against Apartheid, Defence of Member States’ Sovereignty and Territorial Integrity, Settlement of Disputes between Member States, Socio-Economic Development – key areas it focused on.
Online Reporter