OAS meeting introducing African Union

(8 Jul 2002)

APTN
1. Wide exterior of International Convention Centre with flags of participating countries
2. Flags of countries participating in Organisation of African Unity
3. People entering venue
4. President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe arriving with his wife
5. Mugabe greeted by Levi Mwamawasa, President of Zambia and current chairman of OAU; host President Thabo Mbeki of South Africa and by Secretary General of the OAU Amara Essy
6. Various of arrival UN secretary General Kofi Annan, greeted by Mwamawasa, Mbeki and Essy
7. Cutaway onlookers
8. Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, greeted by the above
9. Various of arrival of Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi, greeted by same
10. SOUNDBITE: (English) Dr. Jakkie Cilliers, Institute for Security Studies, Expert on African affairs:
"While we had the OAU, the main focus was on the liberation of Africa, getting rid of apartheid. Now in the post 2001-period new globalised world it is standards of governance, human rights, accountability. Of course the development of Africa. These are the future orientated agenda items that we will see in the Africa Union."

POOL
11. Wide shot interior of Thirty Eighth Ordinary session of the Assembly of Heads of State of the Organisation of African Unity
12. Mid shot podium
13. OAU leaders stand for OAU anthem (the last time this anthem will be heard)
15. Wide pan interior of assembly hall
16. Close up Kofi Annan, UN Secretary General
17. Wide assembly hall
18. SOUNDBITE: (English) Thabo Mbeki, President of South Africa:
"All of these chairpersons must form the backdrop to and inspire us in our work over the next 3 days as we consider various matter that are of vital importance to the future of our continent. These successes demonstrate that those who characterise ours as a hopeless continent are wrong. They illustrate that Africa has both the will and the capacity to take responsibility for its own renaissance."
19. Cutaway delegates
20. Gadhafi at podium delivering speech
21. Wide Gadhafi at podium

APTN
22. Various of group of demonstrators outside OAU summit venue with banners calling for peace in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

STORYLINE:

African leaders met on Monday in Durban, South Africa, for the last meeting of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) before it transforms into the African Union, a new body modeled on European Union.

The 39 year-old Organization of African Unity was a much criticized regional body formed to usher the continent out of the colonial era. The new body, leaders hope, will guide Africa towards a bright future.

Zimbabwe's president Robert Mugabe and UN Secretary General Kofi Annan were amongst the statesmen greeted by South African president and host Thabo Mbeki.

Mbeki, who will be the first chairman of the new union when it is launched Tuesday, has been a moving force behind the new union. Mbeki has had to vie for influence with Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi, who has hoped to use the union as a lever to assume a strong leadership role on the world's poorest continent.

As the African leaders stood to hear the OAU's anthem played for the last time, many were already looking ahead to the success of their new organisation, the African Union.

Mbeki has spearheaded efforts to ensure the new organization promotes democracy and good governance and works to bring Africa out of poverty.


The OAU was derided as little more than a bureaucratic talk shop for African leaders, that did nothing to stop the oppression of Africans at the hands of their own leaders.


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