Conflicts cloud African Union hopes

The new African Union aims at political and economic union

African leaders are due to finalise plans for a new African Union to replace the 38-year-old Organisation for African Unity.

Leaders are expected to work out the detail of the union's new institutions, which will include a central bank, court and parliament.

Aims of African Union

Enhanced co-operation and integration

Parliament and court of justice to be set up next year

Modelled on principles of European Union

The aim is to turn the OAU into a larger trading bloc, modelled more closely on groupings elsewhere in the world, such as the European Union.

But our correspondent in Lusaka, Peter Biles, says that the question of conflict resolution has been dominating this summit, with heads of state knowing that they must do more to end the wars in Africa if there is to be any chance at all of serious economic growth, investment, and an end to poverty.

On Tuesday delegates at the summit in the Zambian capital, Lusaka, elected Ivory Coast's former foreign minister, Amara Essy as its secretary-general.

As they near the end of the annual summit the heads of state are also expecting to discuss the so called Millennium Africa Recovery Programme, it's an initiative designed to put the continent on a new path of development and ensure that Africa is not marginalised globally.

Conflict

At a news conference at the summit, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan said that if Africans wanted to follow the example of Europe after World War II and build a union, they would have to resolve their conflicts.

Amara Essy: No easy task ahead

An upbeat President Museveni, whose country is involved in the war in the Democratic Republic of Congo, has told the BBC that the emergence of a new African Union is important as it would address economic, social and health issues.

And insists that Africa is less prone to conflict today than it had been 30 years ago.

"This is a struggle, but it is a struggle that is moving forward, as you can see. There are now wars, but they are fewer and on the way out, " he said.

DR Congo

A deal inching forward efforts to end Burundi's civil war, brokered by former South African President Nelson Mandela, has just been announced after talks in South Africa under which Hutus and Tutsis will serve in a transitional government.

Conflicts in one country impact on the region

But, talks aimed at ending the war in the Democratic Republic of Congo have been postponed for a month.

The former president of Botswana, Ketumile Masire, who's been mediating to end the conflict which has dragged in many neighbours, made the announcement on the sidelines of Lusaka summit.

The talks between Congolese parties and rebel groups are now scheduled to take place in August instead of later this month.

Mr Masire told a press conference that little could be achieved in national all-party talks until the Democratic Republic of Congo was free of foreign troops.

The armies of Zimbabwe, Angola, and Namibia are in the Congo backing pro-government troops against the rebels, who are supported by Rwanda, Burundi, and Uganda.

Earlier, presidents of some of the countries involved held informal talks to discuss a peaceful resolution of the conflict.

Also at the summit, Mr Annan says the UN is willing to help settle Zimbabwe's land reform dispute.

Mr Annan acknowledged that reform was necessary but said that it must be done legally, with fair compensation paid to white farmers whose properties are seized for redistribution to the black population.