Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Sirte (Agenzia Fides)- Civil war in Somalia and piracy along its coasts, political crises in Zimbabwe and in Madagascar, civil war in the Darfur region of Sudan, how to boost Africa's economy, starting with agriculture. These are the main issues for discussion at the 13th African Union Summit, which opened yesterday 1 July, at Sirte, in Libya.
Libyan leader Gheddafi, as African Union rotating President, is hosting heads of state and government and leading diplomatic representatives of the countries of Africa. These include Algerian president, Abdel Aziz Buteflika, South African president, Jacob Zuma, the president of Mali, Amadou Toumani Toure, the president of Senegal, Abdoulaye Wade, the president of the
Comores, Ahmed Abdullah Sambi, the president of Sao Tome and Principe, Fradique De Menezes, the president of Mozambique, Armando Emilio Guebuza, Egyitian finance minister, Ahmed
Abu al Ghait, the secretary general of the Arab League, Amr Mussa.
The title of the Summit is “Investing in agriculture for economic growth and food security”. At the opening ceremony Brazilian president Inacio Lula da Silva, promised that his country intends to help Africa promote a “green revolution”, with the use of modern production methods, but without damaging family farms and with the objective of creating jobs. President Lula confirmed Brazil's intention to invest in Africa and said that cooperation among the southern countries of the world can “combat the iniquities in the present world order”. The Brazilian president insisted on the fact that Africa, like Brazil, should devote part of its farming to the production of biofuel, developing, for example, plantations of sugar cane, from which ethanol is produced. The rotating president of the African Union, Gheddafi, said he found the Brazilian proposal “interesting”, although he warned that bio-fuel production should not damage the production of food products.
The Summit is also an opportunity to discus ongoing crises in Africa. In Sirte it was announced that in mid July the international contact group for the crisis in Madagascar will resume meetings with principal actors on the Island's political scene. According to the international press, the outgoing president of Madagascar Marc Ravolomanana has arrived in Sirte. However, at the Conference Centre where the Pan African summit is taking place he has not been seen. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 2/7/2009 righe 28 parole 404)
