(TALKZIMBABWE) AU to form regional govt, adopts anti-ICC move

AU to form regional govt, adopts anti-ICC move
Fri, 03 Jul 2009 19:38:00 +0000

AFRICAN Union chief, Colonel Muammar al-Gaddafi has achieved some success in his desire to have a United States of Africa as Union members have agreed to created an African Authority, although individual countries will retain their sovereignty.

The members decided to give its Executive Arm enhanced powers to coordinate common interest policies, but the African Authority will not be able to act internationally unless it has the mandate from Heads of State.

The compromise on the Draft follows heated debate in the Closing Session in the Libyan town of Sirte.

Reports say the creation of the Authority is seen as a stepping-stone towards achieving a Federal Government for the Continent, which is the ambition of Libyan chief Muammar al-Gaddafi.

The Africa Authority proposal has been resisted by South Africa, Nigeria among others who object to giving the Body too much power.

It aims to simplify the AU Structure and allow more control over diplomatic Trade and Defence matters.

The Structure will create a President, a Vice-president and a Secretary of Peace and Security and Common Defence. Other Secretaries will replace the current’s Union’s Commissioners.

The changes to the AU are yet to be ratified by member-states who are have also agreed to discuss the financing of the plan at a later date.

APPROVAL OF ANTI-ICC MOVE

The African leaders on Friday hotly debated and adopted a declaration that could deal a heavy blow to efforts by the International Criminal Court to prosecute war criminals from the continent.

The declaration circulated by Libya, delcared that the AU "deeply regrets" that the United Nations ignored its previous demand for the ICC in The Hague to postpone its arrest warrant against Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir for crimes in Darfur.

The draft declaration says that AU countries "shall not cooperate" with the ICC "for the arrest and surrender" of African indicted personalities.

Officials say ministers later changed this wording behind closed doors to mention specifically Sudan's al-Bashir along with possible other African personalities in the future.

"The ministers have agreed on this, but it's still very much up in the air," said Mohamed Beisat, the African affairs minister for the Western Sahara.

Beisat, who took part in the negotiations, said heads of state could still "significantly change the wording" when they review the decision for approval later Friday.

The African Union is ending its co-operation with the International Criminal Court which has, thus far, only indicted African and Eastern European personalities, but not Western ones.