PRESIDENT Hifikepunye Pohamba will depart for Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, tomorrow to attend the 20th African Union (AU) Heads of State and Government Summit on Sunday and Monday.

The Namibian delegation consists of two Cabinet ministers - Defence's Nahas Angula and Foreign Affairs' Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah - First Lady Penehupifo Pohamba, Foreign Affairs Permanent Secretary Veiccoh Nghiwete and some senior government officials.

The two ministers and senior government officials are already in Addis Ababa to attend the Permanent Representative Committee (PRC) and the ordinary session of the Executive Council for the preparation of the summit. The theme of the summit this year is 'Pan-Africanism and African Renaissance'.

A total of 37 heads of state and government are expected to attend the AU Summit.

United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and several heads of international organisations will also attend the summit.

The summit will focus on industrialisation and economic integration, as well as the continent's challenges such as global trade, climate change, higher education, health, rapid urbanisation, youth development and the need for food security.

It will also deliberate on the conflicts in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Mali, Sudan, South Sudan, Madagascar and Zimbabwe.

Pohamba and his delegation are expected to return home next Tuesday.

Nampa