Monday, March 17, 2025, 11:18PM |  43°
MENU
Advertisement

Wasted summit: African Union leaders sidestep the big issues

Wasted summit: African Union leaders sidestep the big issues

The 26th African Union summit, which ended on Sunday in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, ducked as usual the questions of bloody conflict on the continent and focused instead on withdrawing from the International Criminal Court.

The AU had put forth the idea of sending a 5,000-member peacekeeping force to Burundi, in response to the risk of civil war and genocide.  Last year a coup d’etat there failed, crooked elections occurred in June and President Pierre Nkurunziza sought an unconstitutional third term. 

Mr. Nkurunziza said peacekeepers would be resisted as invaders, so at the summit the AU backed down, dispatching instead a delegation to Burundi for talks. 

Advertisement

Another subject for summit consideration was a plan that AU members withdraw from the International Criminal Court because of the court’s focus on crimes by African leaders. Its activities, according to Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta, are “off course to the detriment of our sovereignty, security and dignity as Africans.” In 2012 the ICC charged Mr. Kenyatta with crimes against humanity, then dropped them two years later.

Zimbabwe’s 91-year-old president, Robert Mugabe, was succeeded as AU chair by Chadian President Idriss Deby Itno, who has been in power in the oil-rich nation since 1990. Mr. Mugabe, in his closing remarks, suggested that President Barack Obama was a puppet of whites.

The continent’s other burning issues, in particular the out-of-control violence in Libya, Somalia and South Sudan, as well as the tragic, economically based migration from Africa to Europe, were scarcely addressed. For leaders who care about the continent, that will leave plenty to discuss at the African Union’s July meeting in Rwanda.

Meet the Editorial Board.

Advertisement

First Published: February 4, 2016, 5:00 a.m.

RELATED
SHOW COMMENTS (0)  
Join the Conversation
Commenting policy | How to Report Abuse
If you would like your comment to be considered for a published letter to the editor, please send it to letters@post-gazette.com. Letters must be under 250 words and may be edited for length and clarity.
Partners
Advertisement
ORCHARD PARK, NEW YORK - JANUARY 15: Mason Rudolph #2 of the Pittsburgh Steelers warms up before the game against the Buffalo Bills at Highmark Stadium on January 15, 2024 in Orchard Park, New York. (Photo by Timothy T Ludwig/Getty Images)
1
sports
Gerry Dulac: If Aaron Rodgers goes elsewhere, what are Steelers' next QB options?
Pedestrians walk through rain showers in Schenley Plaza in Oakland Sunday, March 16, 2025.
2
news
Officials confirm 6 tornadoes hit Pittsburgh region as severe storms left widespread damage
New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers (8) warms up before an NFL football game against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Pittsburgh, Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024.
3
sports
Paul Zeise Live: Are Steelers getting used for leverage by Aaron Rodgers, Kyle Juszczyk and others?
Rob Hirst and Danielle Cain are opening their Hey Babe bar-lounge inside the Maverick Hotel in East Liberty.
4
life
Two hospitality veterans are bringing new life to former Ace Hotel lobby with Hey Babe
Among the three new eats at PNC Park this season is a pickle- and cheese-stuffed Chipped Ham Empanada.
5
life
PNC Park's new food offerings for the season include nods to Pittsburgh favorites
Advertisement
LATEST opinion
Advertisement
TOP
Email a Story