African Union to launch security council

Diplomats said on Wednesday that the Peace and Security Council would comprise 15 African countries and have powers to deal with conflict and security issues under the new African Union (AU),

AU will replace the 40-year-old Organisation of African Unity (OAU) next Tuesday.

Under its mandate, the OAU could not intervene in the internal affairs of its members and had been blamed for doing little to stop the 1994 genocide in Rwanda.

The organisation was also blamed for dragging its feet in finding solutions to conflicts in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Sierra Leone, Somalia and Sudan.

AU launch

"The issues of peace, security and democracy should be dealt with in a more decisive manner now because Africans cannot afford to lose any more time," Said Djinnit, OAU assistant secretary general for political affairs, told Reuters news agency.

The council, as well as the continent's economic rescue plan called the New Partnership for Africa's Development (Nepad), are the focus of the AU launch and heads of state summit next week.

On Thursday, the ministers are expected formally to endorse the institutions, leaving it to heads of state to adopt them.

The ministerial meetings are being held amid tight security at the Durban International Conference Centre in South Africa, which has been sealed off by armed police.

Reuters reports that journalists have been banned from the hotel where heads of state will stay for the AU summit, and are forbidden access to the summit venue unless there is a media briefing.

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

OAU and South African officials have blamed each other for the lack of media access.

The African Union, based in Addis Ababa like the body it replaces, will aim to unify the 53 African member states politically, socially and economically and will be loosely modelled on the European Union.

It will replace the OAU which many critics say was merely a talking shop and waste of money throughout its 38 years.

Its supporters, however, maintain that it has achieved its primary goal of African liberation.