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1st LD Writethru-Roundup: Dlamini-Zuma remains AU commission chair as elections deferred to 2017

Xinhua, July 19, 2016 Adjust font size:

Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, the current chair of the African Union Commission (AUC), is to retain her job as head of the regional bloc as elections to elect her successor failed to produce a result when the AU summit ended here Monday.

Chadian President Idriss Deby said none of the three candidates managed to win two-thirds of the votes from the 54 African heads of states and governments to be elected. Dlamini-Zuma will continue to lead the AUC until the next AU summit to be held in January 2017, he added.

He said the list of candidates would be opened for more hopefuls to join. The current three candidates were Botswana's foreign minister Pelonomi Venson-Moitoi, her Equatorial Guinean counterpart Agapito Mba Mokuy, and Uganda's former vice president Speciosa Wandira Kazibwe.

At the summit, leaders of the 54 African states also agreed on a new funding scheme that would eventually reduce the AU's reliance on donors outside of the region. A levy of 0.2 percent on imported goods from members states is expected to fund the AU programs and peace and security operations.

Meanwhile, a ceremonial pan-African passport was launched at the summit as a small step towards the ambitious goal of free movement of people among AU member states. The first recipients of such a passport are the AU heads of the states, foreign ministers, and permanent representatives to the AU headquarters.

"We are determined to create an environment of unity, solidarity and sovereignty," Deby said.

On the thorny issue of peace and stability in South Sudan, Smail Chergui, AU Commissioner for Peace and Security, told a press conference at the end of the summit that the regional bloc is expected to deploy forces there under the umbrella of the United Nations forces that are already on the ground to help improve human rights record in the country.

The decision came in the wake of an outburst of violence that left more than 300 people killed in the fragile state. Rivalry between two political camps was blamed to have caused the bloodshed.

"The situation in South Sudan is urgent and we are set to meet and discuss with the UN with the aim of deploying the forces," Chergui added.

He said that the AU will not keep quiet and see civilians butchered.

Chergui noted that the African leaders also agreed to set up a special fund to help combat terrorism in the continent.

The fund will be funded by AU governments, the international community and other partners and will take effect once the modeling governing it is unveiled. Endit