Africa: Malawi Says No to Hosting AU Summit

Photo: UN Photo/Marco Castro
Omar al-Bashir addressing the UN (file photo).

The Vice President, Khumbo Kachali, has announced that Malawi will not be hosting the African Union summit, Face of Malawi has reported.

This was decided by Cabinet this morning after the AU Commission asked Malawi to welcome Sudanese President Al Bashir, who is wanted by the International Criminal Court.

Reuters reported that the African Union sent a letter to the Malawian government informing them that if they don't allow al-Bashir to come to Malawi, the summit will be moved to Addis Ababa in Ethiopia.

Original story:

Sudan has requested that the Africa Union (AU) summit in July be relocated to Addis Ababa, according to AFP.

Malawian president, Joyce Banda made it clear that the Sudanese leader, Omar al-Bashir, would not be welcome at the organisation's meeting in Lilongwe in July.

She reportedly said that she would co-operate with the International Criminal Court (ICC) by seeking his arrest if he enters the country.

Banda fears Bashir's presence in Malawi would jeopardise the country's economic ties with foreign donors, according to a BBC Africa report.

Bashir faces charges of crimes against humanity, genocide and war crimes by the ICC. Sudan's foreign ministry said Malawi was contravening AU rules, which include "the required propitious frameworks and environment for the summit", according to Newstime Africa.

However, Moses Kumkuyu, Malawi's information minister, told Newstime Africa: "The statutes of the African Union give freedom to member states to make their grievances known. We were only making our position known and that is not infringing on any statute of the AU."

ICC prosecutor, Luis Moreno-Ocampo, wants leverage from the international community in his endeavour to arrest Bashir, saying in a statement to AFP that the failure to detain him and other Sudanese officials facing similar charges are "a direct challenge to the council's authority".

Countries affiliated with the ICC, including Malawi, are obligated to arrest Bashir, who has visited several nations and remains unapprehended. Yayi Boni, chairperson of the AU and foreign minister of Benin, has said that the AU has no reason to bar Bashir from its July summit.

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  • larry2nuts
    Jun 8 2012, 17:21

    The best thing to do is move the AU Convention to Ethiopia. In fact, all future AU Conventions should be held only at headquarters. Joyce Banda receives 40% of her budget from Euro donors which is a most pitiful predicament since the donors can determine the policies of the government. How can any country call itself a sovereign independent country when its existence is based on foreign aid. It is an insult.

  • mayamiko
    Jun 9 2012, 06:04

    Malawi has learnt its lessons, going against donors its not an option.

  • mayamiko
    Jun 9 2012, 06:06

    Malawi has learnt its lessons, going against donors its not an option.

  • ras sideeq
    Jun 9 2012, 10:01

    "WHAT THIS WOMAN NEEDS IS A DONKEY .. SHE IS SO BACKWARDS THAT ALL THE MOVES MADE BY HER PREDECESER HAS BEEN ERODED. SHE HAD AJET TO GO AROUND THE CONTINENT TO SEEK MORE BENIFICIALINVESTMENTTS SHE COULD HAVE TRAVELED THE GLOBE WITH HER FINANCE MINISTER AND BUSINESS MEN FROM HER COUNTRY, POTRAYING A LADY WHO WANTS TO GO PLACES WITH HER NATION.... SHE SOLD ALL THE LIMOUSINES ;THAT WOULD HAVE MADE BIG BUSINESS PEOPLE WHO WERE HER GUEST COMFORTABLE ,WITH UNINHINDERED ACCESS TO THE COUNTRY ,SHOW OF MODERRNITY,WILLING TO MODERNISE IMPRESSINGT HOSE WHO MIGHT BE INVESTORS IS WHAT ALL PEOPLE DO ,NOT JUST SOME BACKWARDS UNINVENTIVE PLACE. HER LACK OF SOLIDARITY WITH AFRICA INSTEAD ENHANCING HER SLAVE STATUS " VERY DISTASTEFUL.SHE IS NOT READY FOR THIS JOB ; "INSTEAD OF LOOKING FOR INVESTRORS AND PARTNERS ""I STRESS TO YOU PARTNERS " SHE IS LOOKING FOR WELFARE MONEY ,UNINCVENTIVE MONEY DISABLED MONEY FREE MONEY UNPROGRESSIVE MONEY DUNCE MONEY UNEDUCATED MONEY PITTANCE MONEY FOOLS MONEY ;SHE IS NOT LOOKING FOR PARTRNERSHIPS EQUALS LIKE THE REST OF OUR VISIONARY BROTHERS AND SISTER ;SHE WANTS TO HANG ON TO SERVITUDE AND THE BEGGING BOWL" ABSOLOUTELY UNBELIEVABLE" "SHE, IN THE ABUNDANCE OF WATER THIS FOOL IS STILL THIRSTY" SHE HAS DISGRACED THE LEGACY OF THE FORMER PRESIDENT WHOM SEEN THE LIGHT AND WAS IN NO MOOD TO CONTIUE BEING JUST A WELFARE STATE . HE SAW THE PEOPLE REBEL HE FELT THEY WANTED TO BECOME TRULY INDEPENDENT ACQUIRING NEW AND PROFOUND SKILLS . SKILLS THAT WOULD ENHANCE THE LIVES AND EMPOWER THE PEOPLE PERMANENTLY. WHAT SHE IS DOING IS BECOMING A SLAVE TO THEIR BANKS THEIR VISOOIION OF AFRICA WHERE SHE IS NOT SEEN AS AN EQUAL BUT AS A INFERIOR WHOM THEY HAVE TO FEED. WOW!!!!!!! SHAME ON THESE PEOPLE OF MALAWI WHO FOR ANY REASON THINKS WELFARE BEGINNG IS WHAT THE PEOPLE NEED.. " ARENT THERE ANY VISIONARIES IN MALAWI EVER HEAR OF HEMP IT IS THE CANNABIS TREE BUT IT MAKES ROPES AND AND HAS NUMEROUS BENIFITS AND IT IS VERY MUCH NEEDED WORLD WIDE. "HEN YOU BEG THEY DICTATE AND TELL YOU WHAT TO GROW AND HOW MUCH YOU CAN MOTIVATE AN HOW FAST YOU CAN COME OUT OF SLAVERY. WHAT WAS NEEDED WAS MORE TECHNICAL SCHOOLS ENABLING MALAWIANS TO TRAVEL ANY WHERE IN AFRICA OBTAINING JOBS . IT IS BAD THIS BACKWARDS AGENDA THAT THE PRESIDENT HAS. TO SELL OUT THE PRIME MIONISTERS LEGACY FOR WHITES TO ADOPT YPOU TO SHOW AFRICA WHJHAT XOMPLIANCE GETS THEM IS FOOLISHNESS MORE BACKWARD THAN ANY THING WEVE SEEN ON THE AFRICAN CONTINENT SINCE THE IVORIANS TOOK TO THE STREETS CRITICISING FRANCE AND THIER IMPERIALIST COLONIAL PRACTICES ON THE CONTINENT. WE HAVE SINCE SEEN THE ARAB SPEAKING AFRICANS REJECTING IMPERIALIST DICTATORSHIP DICTATES IN ANY VICE OR GUISE. HOW COULD YOU OPT FOR DICTATION FROM THE WEST. CERTAINLY YOU CAN NOT BE THAT WQEAK !!!!!!? "THIS IS AN EMBARRASMENT FOR OURN PROUD BLACK QUEENS ,WHO HAVE STOOD SIDE BY SIDE WITH THEIR AFRICAN BROTHERS FROM TIME IMORTAL " SHE WHOM HAS BEEN REWARDED WITH WEALTH BEAUTY AND THE NAME OF" MOTHER OF THE EARTH " THE BLACK QUEEN WHO WE STAND UNITED WITH OUR CHILDRENS MOTHER THE BACKBONE OF OUR FAMILY " 'HOW COULD YOU BE SO BLIND????

  • mouric yaas automacio
    Jun 9 2012, 14:15

    By making this move, Malawi has RAISED it's level of respect as far as I'm concerned. Denying the leadership in Kartoum for attacking INDIGENOUS Africans (while spewing the words of Europeans) has aligned them with mainstream Africa. Countries like Malawi are the kind of countries the U.S. should bend over backward to do business with if other ties (such as security) can be solidified.

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InFocus

African Union Summit Moves to Ethiopia

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The African Union summit will now take place in Addis Ababa after President Joyce Banda of Malawi refused to host the summit if Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir attends. Read more »