Published by the government of Zimbabwe
Caesar Zvayi
2 July 2009
Harare — PRESIDENT Mugabe yesterday joined other Heads of State and Government from across the continent for the official opening of the 13th Ordinary Session of the African Union General Assembly at the Ougadougou Complex Halls here yesterday, with speaker-after- speaker underscoring the centrality of agriculture to economic development.
The summit being held under the theme "Investing in Agriculture for Economic Growth and Food Security" was officially opened by AU chairman Libya's Brother Leader Muammar El Gaddafi.
AU Commission chairman Dr Jean Ping; His Highness Sheikh Hamad Bin Al-Thani, the Emir of Qatar and chair of the Arab League; and Brazilian President Luis Inacio Lula da Silva also delivered solidarity addresses to the opening session.
In a speech read on his behalf by deputy secretary-general Ms Asha-Rose Mirigo, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon described investment in agriculture as the cornerstone for economic growth in Africa.
A dollar invested in agriculture in Africa, he said, had a two to three times greater impact on poverty alleviation than the same amount invested in other sectors.
Citing the example of Malawi, which achieved another record bumper harvest in the just-ended summer cropping season on the back of subsidising its farmers, the UN boss emphasised the importance of backing agricultural policies with adequate resources.
To this end, he said African countries should have national strategies for agricultural development to promote economic growth, foster national and social security as well as advance the welfare of women and children who constitute the most vulnerable groups in many societies.
Speakers also expressed concern over the fragile peace and security situation in some parts of Africa, citing Guinea-Bissau, Guinea (Conakry), Sudan, Sierra Leone, Madagascar, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Somalia, saying lasting solutions should be found to address the challenges.
The military government in Mauritania, however, got a reprieve when the AU Executive Council announced the lifting of the sanctions imposed after the coup effected 10 months ago.
There, however, is a proviso that the sanctions could be re-introduced if the presidential election, slated for July 18, is not held or is deemed illegitimate.
President Mugabe, who is accompanied by the First Lady Amai Grace Mugabe, Justice and Legal Affairs Minister Patrick Chinamasa and several senior Government officials, arrived here on Tuesday evening and was met at Sirte Gardabya International Airport by Zimbabwe's Ambassador and Plenipotentiary to Libya, Algeria and Tunisia Mr George Vengesa, Foreign Affairs Minister Simbarashe Mumbengegwi, Agricultural Engineering, Mechanisation and Irrigation Minister Dr Joseph Made and senior Libyan government officials.
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