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AU wraps up summit in Ethiopian capital

Xinhua, January 31, 2016 Adjust font size:

The 26th African Union (AU) Summit has been wrapped up after deliberating under the theme, "2016: African year of human rights with particular focus on the rights of women."

The 26th ordinary session of the AU heads of states and government was held Jan. 30-31 at the headquarters of the pan-African bloc in Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa.

In his closing remarks, the newly elected AU Chairperson, President Idriss Déby Itno of Chad, has underlined the need to strengthen efforts in addressing crisis in countries affected by conflicts and also the problem of migration.

Déby noted that AU should play a leading role in the endeavors made to address challenges of all forms on the African continent.

"The African Union should be in the forefront to prevent and to help our countries that are in crisis but also to promote peace, development and integration, all actions that fulfill the aspirations of our peoples," he said.

Déby said he shall try to be concrete and also to be as close as to the expectation of the peoples in his one-year tenure.

In his acceptance speech of the rotating AU chairmanship on Saturday at the opening of the summit, Déby urged the continent to take advantage of its increased profile in the international system and organize itself to defend its interests.

He said that there was need to give the AU the means to attain its objectives, saying it is unacceptable that the functioning of the AU is financed by the outside world.

He urged the continent to be action-oriented in order to change its history. He spoke strongly against terrorism, saying the continent should ensure its own security using its own human resources.

In his speech at the opening of the summit on Saturday, Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe, the outgoing AU Chairperson, said successes have been gained in Africa on peace and security area despite continuing conflicts in some parts of the continent.

However, he lamented the continued dominance of the developed countries over world affairs, as well as the lack of African representation in the UN Security Council.

Loud cheers erupted inside the Nelson Mandela Hall of the AU Conference Center when Mugabe called for reform of the United Nations.

Rwanda will be hosting the 27th AU summit. Endit