Malawi AU envoy presents letters of credence
Malawi’s permanent representative to the African Union (AU) Chimango Chirwa has presented his letters of credence to chairperson of the AU Commission Nkosazana Dhlamini- Zuma in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Chirwa will serve as Malawi’s permanent representative to the AU after the country had gone close to two years without one.
In his statement to the AU chairperson on Wednesday last week, Chirwa said his appointment testifies the importance the Malawi Government under President Peter Mutharika attaches to the AU and the role it plays on the continent.
He said: “The Government of Malawi is very pleased with the laudable task you are undertaking in steering the Commission in the promotion of peace and security in Africa through numerous AU-led peace- keeping missions across the continent, such as the AU-led Mission in Somalia [Amisom].”
He said Malawi is committed to supporting peace initiatives as evidenced by its contribution of troops to the Democratic Republic of Congo and Malawi Police Officers in the United Nations Mission in Darfur (Unamid).
In her response, Dhlamini-Zuma said she was excited that Malawi was taking part alongside other member States in the vision to transform Africa in the next 50 years through the AU’s Agenda 2063 (2016-2063) and noted Malawi’s active role within the AU since its formative years as the Organisation of African Unity (OAU).
She said some of the flagship initiatives her commission seeks to implement in the first 10 years of Agenda 2063 include Mechanised Agriculture to get rid of the hand-held hoe once and for all and transport infrastructure such as high-speed rail network for passengers across the continent.
