on Sudanese President Omar Al-Bashir
19 January 2006
Khartoum - South African Foreign Minister Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma will
today, Thursday, 19 January 2006, pay a courtesy call on Sudanese President
Omar al-Bashir in Khartoum.
Minister Dlamini Zuma is in Khartoum, Sudan where she will lead the South
African delegation to the African Union Ministerial meeting scheduled from
Friday to Saturday, 20 - 21 January 2006.
The Ministerial meeting is charged with the responsibility of deliberating
and making recommendations to the African Union (AU) Summit of Heads of State
and Government scheduled from Monday to Tuesday, 23 - 24 January 2006.
President Mbeki and Minister Dlamini Zuma's participation in the AU meetings
comes within the context of South Africa's commitment to strengthen and
consolidate the institutions of the African Union in order to promote the
achievement of the African agenda.
African Foreign Ministers will during the Ministerial meeting:
* Consider reports of the:
* 6th Ordinary Session of the Ministerial Conference on the World Trade
Organisation held in Hong Kong in December 2005;
* Meetings of African Ministers of Education, Culture, Health, Science and
Technology;
* AU Commission;
* Draft Common African Position on the United Nations Review process on the
Plan of Action on Small and Light Weapons;
* Situation in the Middle East and Palestine;
* African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights;
* Chairperson of the Pan-African Parliament;
* Outcomes of the World Summit on Information Society held in Tunis in
November 2005;
* Meeting of the Troika on the Follow-up of the Africa-Europe Dialogue held
in Mali in December 2005;
* Elect members of the African Court on Human and Peoples' Rights; and
* Elect a member of the African Committee on the Rights and Welfare of the
Child.
Minister Dlamini Zuma on Wednesday, 18 January 2006, in her capacity as
Chair of the African Union Post Conflict and Reconstruction Committee on Sudan,
led a delegation of the Committee to Juba in Southern Sudan where discussions
were held with the President Salva Kirr, Vice President Riek Macaar and other
senior members of the government and legislature, governors of the State and
members of the Southern Parliament.
President Thabo Mbeki is expected to lead the South African government
delegation to the Heads of State and Government Summit scheduled from Monday to
Tuesday, 23 - 24 January 2006 in Khartoum.
Enquiries:
Ronnie Mamoepa
Cell: 082 990 4853
Issued by: Department of Foreign Affairs
19 January 2006
Source: SAPA
