ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (PAMACC News) - During the 28th Ordinary Summit of the African Union which concluded on 31st January at the African Union Headquarters, elections for the Bureau of the Chairperson, The Deputy Chairperson and Commissioners were held as well as appointment of members to the African Union Advisory Board on Corruption ,the appointment of judges of the African Court on Human and People’s Rights (AfCHPR) and appointment a member of the African Union Commission on International Law (AUCIL).

Chairperson of the African Union Commission               H.E Mr. Faki Moussa Mahamat (Chad)

Deputy Chairperson                                                 H.E. Mr. Thomas Kwesi Quartey (Ghana)

Commissioner for Peace and Security                          H.E. Mr. Smail Chergui (Algeria)

Commissioner for Political Affairs                                  H.E. Ms. Minata Cessouma Samate (Burkina Faso)

Commissioner for Infrastructure and Energy                  H.E. Ms. Amani Abou-Zeid (Egypt)

Commissioner for Social Affairs                                     H.E. Ms. Amira Mohammed Elfadil (Sudan)

Commissioner for Trade and Industry                           H.E. Mr. Albert M. Muchanga (Zambia)

Commissioner for Rural Economy and Agriculture            H.E. Ms. Correa Leonel Josefa Sacko (Angola)

The Commissioners for Economic Affairs and Human Resources Science and Technology will be communicated at a later date.

The appointed Members of the African Union Advisory Board on Corruption are:

Mr. Begoto Miarom (Chad), Mr. John Kithome Tuta (Kenya), Mr. Paulus Kalomho (Namibia), Ms. Florence Ziyambi (Zimbabwe), Mr. Pascal Bamouni (Burkina Faso), Mr. Daniel Batidam (Ghana) and Ms. Elisabeth Gnansounou Fourn (Benin).

The appointed judges of the African Court on Human and People’s Rights (AFCHPR) are Ms. Chafika Bensaoula from Algeria and Ms. Rose Tujilane Chizumila from Malawi

The appointed member of the African Union Commission on International law is Ms. Kathleen Quartey Ayensu from Ghana.

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (PAMACC News) - The 28th Summit of the Heads of State and Government of the African Union (AU), officially opened today at the headquarters of the African Union in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia with a strong call for unity to uphold the maintenance of peace and stability in the continent.

The Nelson Mandela plenary hall was full to capacity with delegates and special invitees coming to witness the important event. They heard from distinguished speakers who took their turn on the podium to enlighten the world on the progress made so far in the continent and some of the challenges that Africa faces, as well as proposals for the way forward.
The event this year is holding under the AU theme: “Harnessing the Demographic Dividend through Investments in the Youth”.
 
The outgoing Chairperson of the Union, President Idriss Deby Itno of the Republic of Chad declared open the official  ceremony of the 28th AU summit before handing over the baton of command to the newly elected Chairperson of the African Union, H.E Alpha Conde, President of the Republic of Guinea who in his acceptance speech said “ It is with honor and humility that I accept to preside at the destiny of our Organisation during the year 2017 and I promise to ensure that we implement all the objectives we have set to achieve during this period with the view to enhance the development of our continent ”.
 
Meanwhile, outgoing Chair President Deby wished a happy new year 2017 to all the delegations and invited guests while underscoring the need to continuously preserve peace, stability and prosperity in the continent. He expressed his appreciation to H.E Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, Chairperson of the AU Commission and her team including the Commissioners and staff of the AUC, for the support given to him during his mandate as Chair of the Union. He commended the Commission and the Government of Ethiopia for the successful organisation of the 28th AU Summit.

On the other hand, President Idriss Deby warmly welcomed the newly elected Presidents of the Gambia, Ghana, Sao-Tome and Principe and Seychelles, who worn through a democratically electoral process organized in their respective countries. He also warmly welcomed H.E Mr.  Mahamoud Abbas, President of the State of Palestine and the new UN Secretary General, Mr. Antonio Guterres to Africa, wishing him success in his new functions and reiterates the support of the African people to the UN given that “Africa has found in Mr. Guterres a sincere, committed and sensible person who will stop at nothing to address the issues currently faced by the continent”.
 
Speaking at the opening ceremony of the 28th Summit of the African Union, Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, Chairperson of the African Union Commission (AUC) warmly welcome to the UN Secretary on his first AU Summit in this capacity. “We appreciate the appointment of our sister Amina J. Mohamed of Nigeria as Deputy Secretary General of the UN, and congratulate her on this new responsibility”, underlined the AUC Chairperson while extending a special welcome to the members of the Assembly whose mandates were renewed and to the newly elected Heads of State, since last Summit.
 
Dr. Dlamini Zuma recalled that the year 2017 is heralded by some important developments. She said last year, Cuba, Africa and the world bid farewell to the greatest revolutionary and internationalist of our time, Fidel Aleandro Castro Ruz. “He played a critical role in the global struggle against colonialism and imperialism, and for non-alignment and unity of the countries of the South… His sustained contributions to Africa are legendary: the support to liberation movements, to newly-independent states, in the development of African education and health systems; the training of health personnel, all in the spirit of solidarity, friendship, internationalism and mutual respect”.
 
The AUC Chairperson said “this year marks a number of historical milestones. Firstly, 2017 marks 55 years since the formation of the Pan African Women’s Organisation (PAWO) in 1962, a year before the OAU.  The women came from newly independent states and liberation movements, determined to play their role, side by side with the menfolk, in liberating Africa. She added that “the women’s movement, as we celebrated the OAU/AU Golden Jubilee in 2013, recognized the role of the founder mothers, when they declared: “…African women and their Diaspora sisters played a critical role in the evolution of Pan Africanism, through their contributions to the anti-slavery, anti-colonial and liberation struggles.
 
Through their efforts, women ensured that African struggles for freedom, dignity, development, peace and self-determination also addressed our aspirations for women’s emancipation, gender equality and women’s empowerment.”
 
Dr. Dlamini Zuma emphasized that in tribute to the founding mothers, it is therefore appropriate that the Assembly recognizes PAWO as a Specialized Agency of the African Union. “The task of PAWO today is to continue the struggle for the empowerment of girls and women, through education and skills, in the political, social, cultural and economic spheres.  They must continue to advocate and work for a peaceful and safe Africa for all its people…Without this mobilization of women, progress on Agenda 2063 will be slow... As we start this year of youth, we must indeed commit to value our youth and deserve Africa’s future.” Underscored the AUC Chairperson. (See complete speech of the AUC Chairperson on the AU website:( www.au.int ).
 
The United Nations Secretary General, H.E António Manuel de Oliveira Guterres, who was addressing the AU Summit for the first time as special guest also expressed strong support for the AU’s annual theme: “Harnessing the Demographic Dividend through Investments in the Youth”. He reiterated the will for the UN to support by the African people and contribute fully to the peace missions in the continent.
 
H.E. Mr. Mahmoud Abbas, President of the State of Palestine and Chairman of Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) Executive Committee thanked the African Union for the support to his government’s desire and efforts to achieve a Palestinian state living side by side with the state of Israel as an independent state with distinct borders. He expressed gratitude to all countries of the UN Security Council who voted for this resolution.
 
Addressing the Summit, Mr. Salvador Valdez, Vice President of the Republic of Cuba thanked the AU and the African people for the solidarity showed during the death of the liberation leader, Fidel Castro.
 
Issues of peace and security dominated many of the presentations by the African and visiting Heads of State and Government. Many of the leaders condemned terrorism in very strong terms. Various speakers at the summit’s opening ceremony expressed their commitment to mainstreaming youth’s programs in all socio- economic activities.
 
Present in today’s event was H.E Mr. Erastus Mwencha, Deputy Chairperson of the AUC, the Commissioners, Heads of AU Organs, representatives of the RECs and staff of the Commission servicing the Summit.

OPINION By Dr. Robin Buruchara

I, like millions of others in Africa, can’t imagine what it would be like to live without beans.
Venture onto any small farm in Uganda at meal time, and I can guarantee you that you will find beans on your plate.

Come to think of it, venture onto any smallholder farm, low income urban home or boarding school across Africa at meal time, and you are more likely than not to find beans or some kind of pulse on your plate.

And that’s despite the most severe drought that parts of the continent have seen in decades.  Rains have been late or not come at all; water scarcity has devastated harvests, and incomes have been crippled.  

Yet beans remain a staple in the African diet, for more reasons than one. They’re inexpensiveand easy to grow, with seeds sourced from neighbours or family members. They’re nutritious: high in protein, fibre, carbohydrates, folic acid, iron and zinc.

Our studies in Rwanda, for instance, show eating iron-fortified beans can actually reverse anemia and iron deficiency.  

They come in many shapes, sizes, colors and tastes. In many countries they a good source of income as they are easy to sell. And farmers know beans are a good bet to plant, because if most of their harvest fails and they can’t sell anything - at least they have some food at home.

That’s why the Pan-Africa Bean Research Alliance (PABRA), works with national bean programs to strengthen cropping systems across 30 countries in Africa.

But growing more beans is not a panacea for tackling malnutrition, improving soil fertility and improving incomes.  And, significant challenges block the road to improve production.

Despite the prominence of beans in the local diet and their versatility, the production and improvement of beans is not as high a priority in agricultural and nutritional policies as it ought to be. Their nutritional benefits are not incorporated into nutrition programs; their ability to combat climate change and make farmers’ fields more resilient are not spelled out in climate policy.

It’s unlikely that farmers throughout sub-Saharan Africa – where nitrogen is a commonly lacking crop nutrient – know that beans and other pulses can be used as an alternative or complementary source of nitrogen.They convert atmospheric nitrogen into nutrients the plant can use, by-passing problems associated with excessive fertilizer use - including water and air pollution, not to mention cost.  

They might not know which beans can be sold for a good income twice a year at the local market – especially important for women, who traditionally control earnings from the crop. They might not know which varieties can tackle anemia, or improve soil health.  

They probably don’t know that beans use less water and energy compared to most other protein sources, and that they are also relatively drought resilient compared with other crops.

This needs to change. These are vital factors for farmers in Africa, who must prepare for more drought, longer dry seasons and shorter spells of unpredictable rainfall. Until our agricultural systems become fully irrigated, our farmers need more resilient crops, and beans are an excellent case in point.  

In too many places, new bean varieties and agronomic packages don’t reach farmers or advisory services. To inform farm-scale decision making and agricultural policy, we need to spread the word about the full set of impacts that can be felt by integrating pulses into cropping systems.

It’s true: we do need more research into which beans fit within specific cropping systems.  

Agronomic management is a central pillar of pulse production that relies on developing options suited to local contexts. Yield and environmental benefits of pulse production vary widely across agro-ecological contexts.

But already we have evidence to show the yield increases farmers can expect in their fields; the extra income they put into their pockets, and the huge nutritional benefits they can gain from eating beans.

What remains to be seen is how the private sector and public sector can work together to make sure better beans get to more people. To make sure farmers growing them can make more money from them; or feed their families more nutritious diets with them.

We’re tackling these challenges head on. And raising awareness about how exactly beans contribute to our welfare this Global Pulse Day, is among the many routes we can take to beat them.

Dr Buruchara is the Director of the Pan-Africa Bean Research Alliance (PABRA)

PAMACC News - Partners of the Congo Basin Forest, which holds the second-largest bank of rainforest on the planet after the Amazon in South America are seeking to make conservation activities generate income that will help protect forests, fight against climate change and poverty in the region amidst increasing threats.

Experts say the use of conservation to create environment friendly investments that generate profit and ensure economic sustainability will help keep extractive industries and large scale palm oil plantations that threatens the Congo Basin Forest at bay.

“If we want to protect the Congo Basin Forest, we must make conservation pay and generate the necessary income to put food on the table for our survival and for the future of our children,” says Praven Moman,founder and CEO  of Volcanoes Safari, Rwanda.

He said investing in tourism with conservation travel products, safari and ecotourism including hospiltality, accommodation, guiding and logistics activities around the Congo Basin Forest will keep the forest resources and ecosystem intact, fight against climate change while at the same time generating income through employment of the local forest communities.

He cited the case of Gorilla Park  of Virungas in Kahuzi Biega in DRC, Wester Forest Park and Gorrilas in Gabon, the Republic of Congo, Central Africa and Cameroon, the Forest elephants in Cameroon and the Ba’ka pygmies in the forest communities of Cameroon as concrete examples of tourist attractions beckoning for investors to sustain the economy of the Congo Basin region and protect the forest from destruction.

According to the Congo Basin Forest Partnership, CBFP, only about 13 percent of the about 300 million hectares of the forest is protected leaving large spans of the rich forest vulnerable and threatened by invading agro-industries and mining investors.

The partners also emphasized on the need to invest in the education of forest communities on the importance of conservation.

The local forest communities are key drivers to protection of natural resources and thus the need to be empowered  in readiness to conservation challenges says Manfred Epanda, AWF Coordinator in Cameroon.

The forest expert say investment in educating the local communities on the importance of conservation was also key to drive the sustainable forest management agenda.

In a paper presented at a side event at the Congo Basin Forest Partnership meeting in Kigali November 22, 2016, Epanda emphasised on the need to adequately sensitize and educate the local population on the importance of conservation to their wellbeing.

“Studies by the AWF has shown the direct relationship between the level of education of the population and attitudes towards conservation and the fight against climate change,” he said.

One of the major outcome of the Kigali Congo Basin Forest Partnership was the reinforcement of public/private partnerships to attract private investors into the conservation projects in the region.

 Government officials from Congo Basin countries who attended the high-level pannel and the CBFP council meeting admitted that working with the private sector to promote investments in the tourism sector with National Parks and wildlife conservation areas will give a big push to conservation efforts both at national and regional levels.

"Promoting tourism in the forest sector  will permit for added value in economic driven investments, social and cultural boost, all essential to the welbeing of the local and indigenous populations," said Joseph Roland Matta former secretary of state in charge of forestry in Cameroon and now senator who attended the meeting.

Statistics from the Central African Forest Commission,COMIFAC says over 60 million people living inside and within the vicinity of the forest rely on its resources for subsistence.

Joseph Roland Matta pointed out that expanding Cameroon's tourism to the forestry sector is contained in the policy programmes defined by countries of the CEMAC zones of 2025 for DRC and 2035 for Cameroon.

"The example of successful tourism projects in some national parks presented at the meeting will serve as case study from which other countries will draw inspiration," he said.

According to the studies, the involvement of the local people in the conservation process will enhance protection of the ecosytem by some 11.40 percent, pointing out much resources including forest, wildlife and money can be saved by improving the attitude and knowledge of local people towards conservation.

Experts agree there is a direct relationship between the natural resource potential of a region and the socio-economic wellbeing of the population who rely on these resources for cash and subsistence income.

The local populations directly rely on their natural resources for survival, but the exploitation of these resources must be done sustainably says Richard Eba’a Atyi of CIFOR.