African Union Session Review

After its summit which ended yesterday, the African Union wants to, among others, send a mission to calm growing tensions between Eritrea and Djibouti. But the donor-dependent body needs external support to roll out its 2017 plans. This is one of the resolutions that came out of the end of a two-day summit of African Heads of States and governments in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The leaders also discussed urgent reforms that will enable the body to steer away from foreign dependence in order to fund its projects. Is against this backdrop that Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe presenting a 1 million dollar donation to the body in a push for self-sufficiency. About 60 per cent of the African Union's budget comes from foreign donors, including the European Union, World Bank and non-member countries. The African Union has a 2017 budget of 782 million dollars. To discuss this we are joined on the line by:His Excellency Radhi Bachir: Ambassador of the Saharawi Republic: His Excellency Phillip Jada: South Sudan Ambassador to South Africa: