ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia, March 14, 2016/APO (African Press Organization)/ —
The African Union Commission Chairperson, Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, met with the Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Congo, Mr. Jean-Claude Gakosso, on Saturday, 12 March 2016. The Foreign Affairs Minister was on a special mission from President Denis Sassou Nguesso to brief the AU Commission Chairperson on the state of readiness of the upcoming presidential elections scheduled for 20 March 2016.
The Foreign Affairs Minister reported that there are nine confirmed presidential candidates, including one female candidate and the AUC Chairperson’s former Special Envoy to the Central African Republic. He noted that all interested candidates were registered, except one who failed to comply with the financial conditions for potential candidates.
The Minister said that President Sassou Nguesso was very pleased that the AU had deployed an Election Observation Mission headed by the former Prime Minister of Djibouti, Mr. Mohamed Dileita Dileita.
The AUC Chairperson thanked the Minister for the briefing, and expressed the hope to see free, transparent, credible and peaceful elections in Congo. She assured the minister that the AU would, together with other observer missions, not only observe the elections, but would also help to ensure that they were calm and peaceful.
The AUC Chairperson and the Congolese Foreign Affairs Minister also briefly discussed the situation in the Central African Republic. The Chairperson appreciated President Sassou Nguesso’s support and efforts to ensure that the situation returned to normal, and encouraged the President to accompany CAR even beyond the elections. She expressed the hope to see all the actors working together to help the government deliver social services, so that would-be-organisers of rebellions would give themselves no reason to revolt.
She stressed the importance of having the new government complete its term of office in order to entrench the concept of social justice.
The Chairperson confirmed that the AU would be represented at the inauguration ceremony of the new President of the Central African Republic on 30 March 2016.
