. SIMBYAKULA

By ANTHONY MULOWA in Addis Ababa, ETHIOPIA –
PRESIDENT Edgar Lungu is today expected in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, to attend the 26th Session of the Assembly of the African Union (AU).
Zambia’s Ambassador to Ethiopia Susan Sikaneta said the President, who will be accompanied by First Lady Esther, would arrive in the afternoon at Bole International Airport.
Ms Sikaneta told a media briefing here yesterday that the summit, whose theme is ‘The African Year of Human Rights’ with particular focus on the rights of women, would tackle various issues surrounding the economic emancipation of Africa.
Ms Sikaneta said there were a lot of flagship programmes that the AU had in the pipeline under Agenda 2063.
She said among the major ones were the Ingar Dam project in Congo DR for the generation of electricity.
Ms Sikaneta said the summit would also consider the establishment of the Free Trade Area by next year and the move would facilitate the free movement of people, goods and services and introduction of an African passport.
Also key is the establishment of an African air transport market and the high speed train railway project.
Ms Sikaneta said Zambia was among eight African countries that had been picked to host the manufacturing of parts for the train project.
She said Africa with the help from China wanted to link all capital cities by rail and Zambia would have a manufacturing base in Mpika for the continental project.
Ms Sikaneta said silencing of guns project for the establishment of peace and security on the continent would also be high on the agenda.
“There is the issue of aligning the Agenda 2063 to national development programmes.
Domestication of Agenda 2063 is critical if sustainable development is to be achieved and all member states must move at the same pace and in a coordinated and integrated manner,” she said.
Ms Sikaneta said the Heads of States would also look at the recommendations to increase the AU budget by finding alternative sources of funding so that external dependency was reduced.
Ms Sikaneta said there was also the issue of equitable geographical distribution of AU organs, institutions, spreading of meetings and staffing matters across the continent.
She said Zambia had bid to host the AU’s Economic, Social and Cultural
Council (ECOSOCC) secretariat in Lusaka and so far the lower organs of
the AU had overwhelmingly approved the bid.
Foreign Affairs Minister Harry Kalaba, Justice Minister Ngosa Simbyakula and Gender Minister Nkandu Luo are already in Addis Ababa, and yesterday attended the official opening of the 28th Ordinary Session of the AU Executive Council.