President Paul Kagame yesterday arrived in Malabo in Equatorial Guinea where he joined other Heads of State and Government from across Africa for the 23rd Ordinary Session of the African Union Summit.

Following the 2012 African Union Summit decision that proclaimed 2014 as the year of Agriculture and Food Security in Africa, this year’s summit will focus on food security and the role of agriculture in transforming Africa.

The 23rd Summit will also mark the 10th Anniversary of the adoption of the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Program (CAADP).

Launched in 2006 in Rwanda and combined with the allocation of 12.6 per cent of the national budget to agriculture, the adoption of CAADP contributed to 5.8 per cent sector growth in the first five years of its implementation.

Through a second commitment to CAADP, Rwanda aims to continue its focus on agriculture with an emphasis on productivity and increasing private sector involvement.

On his first day in Malabo, President Kagame held bilateral talks with his host, President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, and ended the day with a session marking the 10th Anniversary of the AU Peace and Security Council, according to a statement from the President’s office.  

The meeting celebrates the achievements of the Peace and Security Council and renews member states’ commitment to promoting peace, security and achieving a conflict free Africa by 2020 as agreed in the Africa 2063 agenda.

Chairing the Peace and Security Council meeting, President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda pointed to the failure to distinguish between just wars and unjust wars and the ideology of sectarianism and ethnic division as root causes of conflicts that continue to afflict several countries in Africa.

On the occasion of its 10 years, the Peace and Security Council identified challenges to its mission, including lack of funding and the need to increase cooperation with international organisations in the field of security.

Amongst its achievements, the PSC counts ongoing peacekeeping missions in Darfur, South Sudan, Somalia, Mali and Central African Republic.

President Kagame is expected to host a session on the East African Standby Force set to be established by the end of the year.

He will also present the Kigali Action Plan encouraging AU Member States, the African Development Bank, and the AU partners to improve hygiene and sanitation conditions and increase investment in better management of Africa’s water resources.