Addis
Ababa, June 9 (ENA)--The UN secretary general Kofi Annan has urged African heads
of state and government to end the continent’s conflicts, saying,
"misguided leadership" is largely to blame for them.
Annan
made the remark while addressing a summit in Lusaka, Zambia aimed at
transforming the organization of African unity (OAU) into a new African union.
He
said the wars in Africa were " in great measures the results of misguided
leadership, which is unwilling or unable to put the people’s interests first.
"
The
secretary general warned that Africa would have to surmount what he called
immense obstacles to build a continent characterized by peace, cooperation,
economic progress and the rule of law.
Speaking
on the occasion secretary general of the OAU Dr, Ahmed Salim Ahmed said the 38
years old continental organization has devoted its time and energy against the
struggle of colonialism and to bring about peace and unity among peoples of the
member states.
He
said the organization has also contributed its share in the fight against the
killer disease HIV/AIDS and to convince the major financial institutions to
write off the loans of the heavily indebted countries in the continent.
Africans
should strengthen their unity and encourage the culture of tolerance and
recognition as well as develop their own strategies to solve problems of their
own, he said.
The
summit of the African heads of state and government is also expected to discuss
about the union’s institutions to be established.
The
union’s executive commission is expected to be located in the Ethiopian
capital Addis Ababa, where the OAU was founded and has its headquarters.
Prior to the opening of the summit, the Ethiopian prime minister Meles
Zenawi, who is also in Lusaka, has met and exchanged views with the UN secretary
general Kofi Annan including the
presidents of Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda and Nigeria about the recently held
international conference in New York on AIDS and the decisions made.
Upon
arrival in Lusaka on Sunday the Ethiopia delegation was given a warm welcome by
the Zambian president Frederick J.T. Chiluba.
(END)