THE ORGANIZATION OF AFRICAN UNITY (O-A-U) HAS OPENED ITS ANNUAL SUMMIT IN HARARE, ZIMBABWE, WITH A WELCOME FOR THE NEWEST AFRICAN HEAD OF STATE, LAURENT KABILA FROM CONGO, THE FORMER ZAIRE. THE AFRICAN LEADERS ALSO HEARD A CONDEMNATION OF THE COUP IN SIERRA LEONE.MR. KABILA WAS GIVEN A WARM WELCOME BY HIS FELLOW HEADS OF STATE, MOST OF WHOM HAVE RECOGNIZED HIS NEW GOVERNMENT WHICH OUSTED ZAIREAN PRESIDENT MOBUTU SESE SEKO.
THE INCOMING CHAIRMAN OF THE 53-NATION O-A-U, ZIMBABWEAN PRESIDENT ROBERT MUGABE, URGED AFRICA AND THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY TO SUPPORT MR. KABILA.
IN HIS OPENING SPEECH TO THE CONFERENCE, MR. MUGABE ALSO CONDEMNED LAST WEEK'S COUP IN SIERRA LEONE AND CALLED FOR THE RESTORATION OF DEMOCRACY AS A MATTER OF URGENCY.
MR. MUGABE TAKES OVER AS O-A-U CHAIRMAN FROM CAMEROON'S PRESIDENT, PAUL BIYA.
MR. MUGABE GAVE NOTICE THAT AFRICA IN THE FUTURE EXPECTS TO BE TREATED AS AN EQUAL PARTNER IN INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS. HE SAID AFRICA WILL INSIST ON TWO PERMANENT SEATS WITH FULL STATUS IF THE UNITED NATIONS SECURITY COUNCIL IS EXPANDED, SAYING THERE SHOULD BE NO FIRST-CLASS AND SECOND-CLASS MEMBERS.
MR. MUGABE SAID AFRICA HAS PROVED THAT THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY WILL LISTEN WHEN ITS LEADERS ACT IN UNISON, AS THEY DID IN DEMANDING A SECOND TERM FOR AN AFRICAN AS UNITED NATIONS SECRETARY-GENERAL.
THE CURRENT SECRETARY-GENERAL IS GHANA'S KOFFI ANNAN. HE TOOK OVER WHEN BOUTROS BOUTROS-GHALI FROM EGYPT WAS OUSTED BY UNITED STATES-LED OPPOSITION. MR. ANNAN IS ATTENDING THE CONFERENCE, ALONG WITH ABOUT 30 AFRICAN HEADS OF STATE.
MR. MUGABE SAID THAT FOR THE FIRST TIME IN ITS HISTORY, THE O-A-U IS MEETING IN WHAT HE CALLED "A COMPLETELY FREE SOUTHERN AFRICA," FOLLOWING THE END OF WHITE-MINORITY RULE IN SOUTH AFRICA.
HE SAID THE NEXT TARGET IS ECONOMIC EMANCIPATION.
OBSERVERS SAY THAT WITH THE TWO MAJOR PREOCCUPATIONS OF COLONIALISM AND APARTHEID BEHIND THEM, AFRICAN LEADERS HOPE TO CHART A NEW DEMOCRATIC AND ECONOMIC PATH IN LINE WITH SOUTH AFRICAN PRESIDENT NELSON MANDELA'S VISION OF AN AFRICAN RENAISSANCE.
02-Jun-97
Source: Voice of America