Uhuru Kenyatta joins African leaders at AU summit amid crises over coups and COVID

A guard of honour was mounted for President Uhuru Kenyatta who arrived in Addis Ababa ahead of the 35th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union.

African leaders are meeting today at a summit that is expected to discuss the continent’s most pressing challenges, including a new wave of coups in West Africa and a slow response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The summit in the Ethiopian capital, is also expected to gather support for Africa’s push toward permanent representation on the United Nations Security Council.

The Security Council is composed of the five permanent member states – China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States – the victors of the Second World War.

During the two-day Summit, President Kenyatta will present a progress report of the African Leaders Malaria Alliance (ALMA) as well as this month's AU Peace and Security Council agenda. Pulse Live Kenya

The Security Council also consists of ten non-permanent members elected by the UN General Assembly for a two-year term. Kenya is currently one of the ten countries.

"During the two-day Summit, President Kenyatta will present a progress report of the African Leaders Malaria Alliance (ALMA) as well as this month's AU Peace and Security Council agenda," read a tweet from State House.

Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed in his opening remarks called for cooperation among African nations in demanding two permanent seats on the U.N. Security Council.

“Today, more than seven decades after the creation of the United Nations, Africa remains a junior partner, without a meaningful input or role within the system of international governance,” Abiy said.

“We should collectively insist that Africa’s reasonable request for no less than two permanent seats and five non-permanent seats in the U.N. Security Council be adopted.”

The 35th Ordinary Session is the first physical Assembly of the Heads of State and Government of the African Union to be held since Covid-19 was declared a global pandemic in 2020. Pulse Live Kenya

Additionally, President Kenyatta will witness the transfer of AU’s chairmanship from President Felix Tshisekedi of Democratic Republic of Congo to President Macky Sall of Senegal among other bilateral and multilateral engagements.