Nouakchott (Mauritania) -The 31st Summit of the African Union (AU) Heads of State and Government kicked off Sunday in Nouakchott (Mauritania) with the participation of President of Republic, Secretary General of the Polisario Front, Brahim Ghali.
The Summit is themed “Winning the Fight against Corruption: A Sustainable Path to Africa's Transformation.”
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Abdelaziz said that “Africa is facing security challenges, notably terrorism, extremism, drug and the multiplication of conflict zones, hence the need for a collective approach and coordinated efforts to achieve development.”
African leaders will address the thorny issue of corruption to make Africa a haven of peace, integration and economic development.
According to African leaders, the continent is facing various conflicts and must privilege dialogue to resolve them, with purely African solutions.
The Western Sahara issue will also be the focus of the 31st AU Summit as it was included, for the first time, as a “separate and distinct issue” on the agenda.
Peace and security are also on the agenda of the African leaders’ meeting who will discuss the means to address radicalization and violent extremism as the main factors behind the terrorist threat.
The President of the Republic is accompanied by a delegation comprising Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mohamed Salem Ould Salek, Secretary General of National Union of Women, Fatima Al-Mahdi, Minister Delegate for Africa, Hamdi Al-Khalil Mayara, Ambassador to Ethiopia and Permanent Representative to the African Union, Lamine Baali, Ambassador to Cuba, Malainin Tghana, Advisor to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Malainin Lakhal, and Director of the Africa Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Moussa Ablal. (SPS)
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