Enough is enough, AU must listen to members

Tue, 20 Jun 2017 11:46:04 +0000

By AARON CHIYANZO & KALOBWE BWALYA

PRESIDENT Edgar Lungu and his Rwandan counterpart Paul Kagame have agreed to fight for inclusion at the highest decision making level of the African Union (AU).

Speaking when the two Heads of State held bilateral talks at State House yesterday, President Lungu said ‘enough is enough’, to the continued shelving when it came to decision making at the AU.

The President said that all member states of the AU should be included in decision making at all levels of the union.

President Lungu reiterated that AU should help member states to develop and that there was need for tangible benefits for the whole membership.

He said that most of the African countries including Zambia had been attending AU summits like mere robots without much participation in the decision making process.

President Lungu emphasized the need for a united voice and call for including in the decision making process at the AU.

“Next time we go to Addis Ababa, lets point out that enough is enough. There should be meaningful benefits for belonging to the AU. The union should help member states to develop. We need to participate in decision making, not just sitting there like objects,” he said.

President Kagame agreed with President Lungu on the need for the two countries to fight for proper recognition and inclusion at the AU. President Kagame, who is in Zambia on a two day working visit said that Rwanda was ready to cooperate with Zambia on a number of critical areas.

“We look forward to strong cooperation with Zambia in many critical areas. We can learn a lot from each other’s best practice and together we can conquer.”

President Kagame also agreed to accept the outcome of the upcoming presidential elections in Rwanda, as requested by President Lungu.

And Government has signed three bilateral agreements of cooperation with Rwanda on defence and security, provision of Air services and an extradition treaty.

Earlier, President Kigame said it was befitting to have Presidential burial sites for the late of Heads of State so that the country can follow and understand its history as well as for the future generation. President Kagame said, Zambia should be emulated for setting up Presidential burial site because the late Presidents did not only serve Zambia as a nation, but also served the African continent and the site will enable young people understand the history of the leaders buried there.

Speaking after lying wreaths on President Micheal Sata, Levy Patrick Mwanawasa and Fredrick Chiluba’s graves, President Kagame said the act of keeping Presidential memorial park is important because they were great leaders who contributed to the betterment of the nation.

The Head of State said it was always important to remember the departed souls especially those who had impacted people or even the nation, hence Rwanda will learn something Zambia about keeping memories of the departed souls as way of history and the coming generation.