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Garikai Fadzi in ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia

President Mnangagwa, who is also the SADC Chairperson, arrived here last night for the 38th Ordinary Session of the African Union and went straight into a series of engagements with senior officials.

The President was received at Bole International Airport by Foreign Affairs and International Trade Minister, Professor Amon Murwira, Zimbabwe’s Permanent Representative to the AU Commission, Sophia Nyamudeza and Ethiopia’s Minister of Transport and Logistics, Dr Alemu Sime.

The summit is running under the theme, “Justice for Africans and people of African descent through reparations”.
This theme was decided on by the Heads of State and Government at the 37th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the AU held in February 2023 in Addis Ababa.

President Mnangagwa, arrived in Ethiopia for the 38th Ordinary Session of the African Union Summit

The summit is expected to draw African Heads of State and Government, as well as leaders from international organisations.
Prof Murwira, who had earlier attended the 46th ordinary session of the AU Executive Council, said this year’s theme speaks towards Africa’s long cherished dream of demanding reparations for losses suffered during decades of colonial subjugation.

The AU aims to define a unified vision for reparations, including financial compensation, formal acknowledgment of past injustices, and policy reforms.

“We believe that this is a very important topic for us, especially us as Zimbabwe after having gone through a gruelling phase of our liberation struggle and facing a lot of adversity in the process.
“We believe that Africa has to talk about that topic, it has to have a position on that topic because it is a just topic for Africa,” he said.

Prof Murwira said President Mnangagwa has a series of bilateral engagements lined up, especially now that he is the SADC Chairperson.

“His Excellency is the Chairman of the SADC region, and in that capacity, it gives him more responsibilities.
“So, we are looking forward to his coming here and sharing with his colleagues the future plans for Africa,” he said.

Ahead of the main weekend summit, the leaders will hold an emergency session today to discuss the violence in the DRC, where the M23 armed group has seized large parts of the east of the mineral-rich country.

Kenyan President William Ruto

SADC and the East African Community recently held a joint summit in Tanzania to deliberate on the war in the DRC and called for a cessation of hostilities. President Mnangagwa, in his capacity as SADC Chairperson, and his Kenyan counterpart President William Ruto, the EAC Chairperson, co-chaired the summit held in the Tanzanian capital Dar es Salaam.

Angolan President João Lourenço, will take over the rotating presidency of the AU at the weekend while a new AU Commission Chair would be chosen by vote.

President João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço

Incumbent Mr Moussa Faki Mahamat of Chad, has reached the two-term limit and the trio of Djibouti’s Foreign Minister Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, Kenyan politician Raila Odinga and Madagascar’s ex-foreign minister Mr Richard Randriamandrato is vying to replace him.
In the spirit of rotation, the AU Commission chair’s post is reserved for East Africa.