President Hage Geingob will be leaving today for Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, where he will attend the 36th African Union (AU) ordinary session of the assembly of heads of state and government.
The head of state’s two-day trip is packed with several bilateral meetings with other heads of state and government, as well as international organisations.
According to the Presidency, upon his arrival in Addis Ababa, Geingob, in his capacity as chairperson of the SADC Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation, will attend the Peace and Security Council meeting.
The meeting will discuss the situation in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) within the broader context of the Peace, Security and Cooperation Framework for the DRC and the region, including the deployment of the Eastern African Force.
After the meeting, Geingob will inaugurate the newly-renovated chancery building, which houses the permanent mission of Namibia to Ethiopia and the AU.
For the AU assembly, which is scheduled for 18 and 19 February, President Geingob, alongside other heads of state, will discuss the institutional reforms of the AU, the state of peace and security in Africa, activities of the Peace and Security Council, and the implementation of the AU Master Roadmap of Practical Steps to Silence the Guns in Africa.
Issues of global political, financial and energy policy governance, the food crisis and climate change will also form part of the discussions.
“The assembly will consider and make far-reaching decisions on various political and socio-economic areas to promote and advance the welfare and quality of life for the African citizenry,” said the Presidency in a media statement.
The Assembly will also discuss and consider various laws such as the draft statute of the Pan-African Training Centre for Statistics (PANSTAT), draft statute of the African Union Institute for Statistics (STATAFRIC), African Continental Free Trade Area Protocol on Competition Policy, and draft statute of the African Humanitarian Agency.
Geingob is expected to return home on Sunday. – mamakali@nepc.com.na