AU Chairperson Pays Tribute to King Mohammed VI’s African Leadership

Guinean President and current Chairperson of the African Union Alpha Condé praised the pan-African leadership of King Mohammed VI and welcomed his participation at the ongoing 5th AU-EU summit in Abidjan.

“We appreciate and welcome the presence of King Mohammed VI” said President Condé in his opening remarks at the summit, highlighting the sovereign’s “commitment and faith in Africa’s unity.”

“It hardly surprises us when we remember the role played by Morocco, under the leadership of King Mohammed V, in the setting up of the Organization of African Unity,” said Condé.

During his opening speech, Condé drew a diagnosis of the achievements since the adoption of the political declaration of Brussels in 2014, saying that meeting the set objectives requires overcoming a set of challenges pertaining to security conditions, climate change, financing and development.

He cited the G5 force – formed by five Sahel countries with French support- as an example of counter-terrorism cooperation between the African Union and the European Union.

Touching on the theme of the summit, President Condé said that in 2050 Africa’s population will hit 2.4 billion, pointing out that this human potential should be deemed as an asset and a driver of development through attaching particular interest to education and training.

Rural development is of essence in achieving Africa’s development, he added, stressing the need for upgrading basic infrastructure and promoting the energy sector.