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President Mugabe joined other Heads of State and Government at the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa Conference Centre where several speakers bemoaned the apparent loss of direction by the AU. The AU was transformed from the Organisation of African Unity in 1999 to move the development agenda from political independence to the economic dimension.

The AU’s disastrous handling of the situation in Cote d’Ivoire — where it dictated rather than mediated — was the elephant in the room, looming even larger on account of the secretariat’s decision to invite French President Nicolas Sarkozy to be the guest of honour at the opening ceremony.

This is at a time French warships are reported to be patrolling the waters off the coast of Cote d’Ivoire.
Observers said the French leader had lobbied for the invitation in order to try to influence continental opinion on what should be done to help the former French colony.
Mr Sarkozy did not waste time in urging the AU to endorse the West’s preferred presidential candidate in the recent elections that sparked the crisis, Allassane Ouattara, as did UN chief Mr Ban Ki-Moon.

On Saturday President Mugabe had bemoaned the death of the revolutionary spirit in the AU.
“The revolutionary views of the founding fathers seem to be disappearing.
“The very rigid form in which the organisation was established, that it would not countenance imperialism and colonialism anymore, that it would in fact assist those countries that were still colonies or under settler rule or apartheid, that — over time — seems to have disappeared and one seems to see us receding without perhaps realising it because of poverty.
‘‘We still remain tethered to our erstwhile coloniser, still allow them to come into our internal affairs and dictate to us how we should govern our states.
“We seem to have lost sight of our revolutionary roadmap.
“It’s a pity,” President Mugabe said.

His sentiments were echoed by incoming AU chairman President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo of Equatorial Guinea who called on African leaders to draw from the spirit of the founding fathers to foster national and continental development.
“In the period in which we assume presidency of the AU, we would like to invoke the memory of the founding fathers.
“Africa must always favour dialogue for peaceful resolution of its conflicts,” President Mbasogo said in his acceptance speech as he took the baton from outgoing chairman President Bingu Wa Mutharika of Malawi.

This is the first time the chairmanship has gone to a Spanish-speaking country, the only one on the continent.
Mr Sarkozy, Mr Ban, AU Commission chair Dr Jean Ping, and President of the 65th United Nations General Assembly Mr Joseph Deiss of Switzerland also addressed the opening session, with the overriding sentiment being Africa’s time had come and the continent needed to assert itself by claiming its place in global affairs.

The UN chief said the AU had the world body’s support in development programmes as well as in efforts to end conflicts in troubled spots.
Mr Sarkozy, who is the G8 and G20 chairman, affirmed France’s support for the reform of the UN Security Council.
He said Africa was a major player on the world stage and deserved its place in global affairs.

“The world needs Africa because it is Africa that will contribute to the progress of the world,” he said.
The Summit will tackle a wide-ranging agenda that dwells on ways of enhancing continental unity pursuant to the vision of establishing a United States of Africa.