HARARE, Feb 8 (NNN-NEW ZIANA) – President Emmerson Mnangagwa on Friday left for Addis Ababa, Ethiopia where he will join other African leaders at the 32nd Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the African Union (AU).
The AU Heads of State Summit, which will be held on 10 and 11 February will run under the theme, “Refugees, returnees and internally displaced persons: towards durable solutions to forced displacement in Africa.”
The continent is struggling to end armed conflicts in a number of countries. Observers feel the bulk of the conflicts are being sponsored by other countries angling to exploit natural resources while being shielded by the instability.
Millions of people continue to leave their home countries while others have been displaced as a result of the strife. Burundi, South Sudan, the Central African Republic (CAR), the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Eritrea, Mali, Somalia and Sudan are among the leading African countries where the highest numbers of refugees are coming from and where displaced people are also found.
The AU has an aim to “silence the guns” by 2020 as it bids to end conflicts but analysts contend the target is unrealistic.
Meanwhile, the continental body is expected to launch the African Leaders for Nutrition (ALN) Continental Nutrition Accountability Scorecard. The event, to be held under the theme “A Call for Better Advocacy and Accountability for Nutrition Investments,” will be chaired by His Majesty King Letsie III of Lesotho and African Development Bank President Akinwumi Adesina.
The Continental Nutrition Accountability Scorecard is the latest tool produced by ALN to raise awareness and reinforce commitments by African governments to end malnutrition and promote healthy children.
“This data-based advocacy tool gives an overview of how African leaders are doing on their delivery of the main nutrition indicators,” the AU said.
“It is expected that the scorecard will increasingly be used to track Africa’s effort to halt malnutrition and its effects,” it added.
–NNN-NEW ZIANA