Africa (Commonwealth Union) _ African leaders gathered in Gigiri, Nairobi County for the African Union’s fifth Mid-Year coordination meeting. The summit aimed to address critical issues of African integration and division of labor. Kenya’s President, William Ruto, called for a reform of the AU, specifically focusing on the body’s financial autonomy. He emphasized the importance of the organization being self-funded and less dependent on external partners. Currently, less than 40% of member states pay their yearly contributions to the AU.
The AU’s 2020 budget breakdown includes $157.2 million for the operational budget, $216.9 million for the program budget, and $273.1 million for peace support operations. Peace support operations are expected to be funded by member states and international partners, with 38% of the total budget assessed on member states and 61% coming from partners. The operating budget will be fully funded by member states, while the program budget will be funded 41% by member states and 59% from international partners.
President Ruto highlighted the burden of debt carried by many African countries and advocated for a fairer financial system. African nations face challenges in borrowing compared to wealthier European nations. Ruto emphasized the need for a financing mechanism that treats everyone equally.
The focus of the meeting was the acceleration of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) implementation, which is the AU’s theme for the year. Attendees included representatives from Regional Economic Communities, Regional Mechanisms, and AU Member States. Comoros’ President Azali Assoumani, the current chair of the Union, was also present, along with other African leaders such as Bola Tinubu of Nigeria, Abdel Fattah of Egypt, Macky Sall of Senegal, Ismail Guelleh of Djibouti, and Ali Bongo of Gabon.
The meeting followed the Ordinary Session of the Executive Council, preceding the summit.
