Kibaki in Addis to push for ICC deferral

BY ROBIN NJOGU

ETHIOPIA, Jan 30 - President Mwai Kibaki arrived in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on Saturday to attend the 16th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union (AU).

The plane carrying the President and his entourage touched down at Bole International Airport shortly after 5pm.

On arrival, President Kibaki was received by senior Ethiopian Government officials and Kenyans resident in Ethiopia led by the Kenyan Ambassador to Ethiopia Amb. Dr Monica Juma, her Somalia counterpart Amb.
Major (Rtd) James Mulinge and Kenya’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Amb. Zachary Muburi Muita.

The theme of the summit which opens on Sunday is “Towards Greater Unity and Integration through Shared Values”.

Among the issues that are expected to be discussed during the two-day Heads of State and Government summit include the report of the AU Peace and Security Council (PSC).

The PSC which Kenya is a founding member, is a standing decision-making organ for the prevention, management and resolution of conflicts Africa.

It is also a collective and early warning arrangement to facilitate timely and efficient response to conflicts and various crisis situations in Africa.

The summit will also discuss the report of the Committee of Heads of State and Government on Climate Change which Kenya is a member. Other members are Algeria , the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Ethiopia , Mauritius , Mozambique , Nigeria and Uganda .

Also included on the agenda of the 16th AU Heads of State and Government summit is the consideration of the report of the Chairperson of NEPAD Heads of State and Government Orientation Committee. One of NEPAD’s programmes is the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM), an African self-monitoring instrument which Kenya voluntarily acceded to in March 2003.

Other issues that will be debated by the Heads of State and Government are reports on the United Nations Reforms and the transformation of the African Union Commission into the African Union Authority.

President Kibaki was accompanied to the summit by Internal Security Minister Prof. George Saitoti who is also the acting Foreign Affairs Minister, Planning Minister Wycliff Oparanya, Defence Minister Yusuf Hajji and Public Service Minister Dalmas Otieno among other senior Government officials.

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