•PRESIDENT Michael Sata greets Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf during the 22nd Ordinary Session of the African Union closed session in Ethiopia on Friday Picture By EDDIE MWANALEZA

From XAVIER MANCHISHI In ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA –

PRESIDENT Michael Sata yesterday left Ethiopia after attending the 22nd Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union (AU) which closed on Friday evening.

President Sata was seen off at Bole International Airport by Foreign Affairs Minister Wylbur Simuusa, his Agriculture and Livestock counterpart Bob Sichinga and Zambia’s Ambassador to Ethiopia Susan Sikaneta.

The President, who was accompanied by First Lady Christine Kaseba and his Special Assistant for Press and Public Relations George Chellah, arrived at the airport 09:30 hours local time.

Mr Sata was ushered into the VIP departure lounge where he met Namibian President Hifikepunye Pohamba with whom he shared a few pleasantries as the duo waited for their respective flights.

“In Africa I have great respect for two people, Dr Kaunda who I call Zambia itself and Julius Nyerere,” Mr Pohamba told Mr Sata before proceeding to greet Dr Kaseba in Nyanja and telling her that Zambia is his second home.

While Mr Sata and Mr Pohamba were conferring, Dr Kaseba also briefly chatted with Namibian First Lady Penehupifo Pohamba, who is the immediate past chairperson of the Orgnisation for African First Ladies against HIV/AIDS (OAFLA).

President Sata later met Liberian President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf who arrived in the VIP departure lounge a few minutes after the Zambian Head of State and his Namibian counterpart had been settled.

The President, who is starting his 14-day working holiday, then proceeded to board the Presidential Challenger jet at 09:45 hours local time.

Meanwhile, the AU summit came to a close on Friday evening with a call to expeditiously establish an African United Force to address insecurity on the continent.

Newly-appointed AU chairperson Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz, who took over from Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn, issued the rallying cry for African leaders to unite and always speak with one voice.

Mr Abdel Aziz, who is the President of Mauritania, said Africa must do more to end the many conflicts on the continent and that time had come for the continent to take its rightful place on the international stage.

“United integration will be critical for us to overcome all the challenges the continent is faced with,” Mr Abdel Aziz said. “This is the time for us to speak with one voice on all matters from climate change, multilateral trade and the fight against terrorism.”

The African leaders resolved that at the next summit, they will adopt the Agenda 2063 aimed charting a new course for the AU in the next 50 years against the background of what the grouping has achieved since inception in 1963.

AU Commission chairperson Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma said the summit had veered away from discussing the theme of Agriculture and Food Security but that the just ended event was meant to launch the theme which would be discussed extensively at the next meeting in June.