Outgoing chairman of the African Union (AU), Tanz anian President Jakaya Kikwete, Monday called for the setting up a special fund t o underwrite the chairman’s travel experiences.
This is one of his three recommendations he believes will lift the financial bur den off the country that chairs the continental organisation.
During his farewell speech to 28 heads of state assembled in the Ethiopian capit al, Addis Ababa, Kikwete said, “I recommend that we allocate special funds in or d er to cover some of the costs associated with executing the responsibility of th e chair. If we do not do that, we might miss the contribution of some member-stat e s in leading the African Union because of the heavy costs in carrying out the re s ponsibilities,” he said.
The Tanzania leader, who has been succeeded by Libyan president Mouammar Gaddafi as chairman of the union, also wants a troika set up to enable the chairman con s ult when intervention is needed in Africa’s many crises.
“This recommendation stems from the fact that after the summit, there is no form al meeting the chairman can use to discuss and make decisions on issues that he n eeds to address,” he said.
He also wants the country that holds the chairman to be automatic member of the peace and Security Council.
“In dealing with the conflicts, the chairman needs to work closely with the peac e and Security Council. When a country chairs the AU and is therefore not a memb e r of the council, it does not have that opportunity,” he said.
