Addis Ababa: Dozens of African leaders met in the Ethiopian capital to mark 50 years since the founding of the African Union, a continentwide organisation that helped liberate Africa from colonial masters and which now is trying to stay relevant on a continent regularly troubled by conflict.
Opening the summit on Saturday that was attended by US Secretary of State John Kerry and other foreign dignitaries, Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn said the AU's original pan-Africanist aspirations remain relevant for a continent where many states are still struggling to overcome rampant poverty and violence.
"This historic day marks not only a great leap forward in the Pan-Africanist quest for freedom, independence and unity but also the beginning of our collective endeavor for the realisations of Africa's socio-economic emancipation,'' he said.