African leaders’ failure to demand relocation of AU headquarters an insult to the Charter of the organization: Strategic Studies Center
By: Shabait Staff
July 8, 2004

A strategic studies centre that focuses on issues in the Horn of Africa said that the failure of African leaders to demand relocation of the seat of the African Union from Addis Ababa represents an insult to the very Charter principles of the former Organization of African Unity and its successor, the African Union (AU). The Centre based its conclusions on the fact that the Ethiopian authorities have no legal and moral competence to host AU meetings, in addition to that country’s gross violation of international law.

Recalling the 1964 decision adopted by African leaders in the Cairo Declaration outlining full respect to the rule of law, the sanctity of colonial boundaries and respect to national sovereignty and territorial integrity of member states, the strategic studies centre underlined that it would constitute an insult to the AU should the African leaders ever decide that Ethiopia continue to be the headquarters of the African Union.

The Centre went on to emphasize that the move taken by the African leaders to hold their deliberations in Ethiopia, a country which is not only known for the prevalence of widespread hunger, disease and related social ills, but also openly violates the Charter principles of the AU are indeed unfortunate gestures. In this context, the Centre underscored that it was the responsibility of the African leaders to denounce the Ethiopian regime’s failure to respect international law and the fundamental principles of the AU Charter, thereby undermining peace and stability in the Horn.