20100712
africanews

Uganda is to host the 66th Heads of States Summit of the African Union for the first time in 35 years. It last hosted under the fiat of dictator Idi Amin.

About 29 African leaders have confirmed their participation with words still expected from the Caribbean invitees, according to spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Patrick Muganda.

This year’s summit is likely to re-stage the debate between the so-called gradualists and instantists approach towards the unification of the continent.

Among those coming include but not limited to Zimbabwe’s Robert Mugabe, South Africa’s Jacob Zuma, Ethiopia’s Meles Zenawi, Egypt’s Hosni Mubarak and President Joseph Kabila of Congo plus the Presidents of Ghana, Namibia, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Gambia, Chad, Lesotho, Mauritius, Angola and Benin.

Uganda plans to host a continental youth conference on the sidelines of the main event. The 15th AU summit comes when Uganda is doing several diplomatic balancing acts. In October it will be the rotational chair of the United Nations Security Council with its adopted theme of post conflict peace-building.