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Mnangagwa barred from attending AU Extra-Ordinary Summit sessions?
20 Mar 2018 at 15:43hrs | Views
Mnangagwa cannot sit with elected Heads of State since he is a product of a coup
Report from African Union Extra-Ordinary Summit sessions in Kigali, Rwanda say President Emmerson Mnangagwa is sitting in the gallery not with other Head of States at AU summit in Rwanda today. The AU says Mnangagwa cannot sit with elected Heads of State since he is a product of a coup. However they agreed that he attends the summit as an observer.
"The claim that vaMnangagwa has not been welcomed by the AU is balderdash, absolute balderdash. In the first place AU sessions have not started they are only starting tomorrow, what we have are preliminaries to that session," Mr Charamba said.
Former Nigerian president Olusegun Obasanjo, who also attended the business forum this morning, doubly commended President Mnangagwa for managing a peaceful transition in Zimbabwe in the wake of the resignation of Mr Robert Mugabe on November 21 last year and also for quickly responding to the call for the launch of the AfTCA.
"He has been doubly congratulated by (Olusegun) Obasanjo on two counts: One, for managing a peaceful transition which has made the continent proud, and I am quoting "for managing a peaceful transition which has made the continent proud' and Obasanjo adds 'please keep the continent going'. Secondly for so quickly responding to the launch of the Continental Free Trade area," Mr Charamba added.
President Mnangagwa will tomorrow join fellow heads of state and government at the Kigali Convention Centre to sign the AfCTA, an agreement crafted to enhance intra-African trade and make the continent the largest free trade area created since the formation of the World Trade Organisation 23 years ago.
However, presidential spin doctor Mr George Charamba has dismissed social media claims that President Mnangagwa has been barred from attending African Union Extra-Ordinary Summit sessions in Kigali, Rwanda as 'absolute nonsense' saying the President had not only been doubly commended ahead of the Summit but was this morning busy attending a business forum preceding the Summit.Reports say Mnagagwa is sitting in the gallery not with other head of states at Au summit in Rwanda today. The Au says Mnangagwa cannot sit with elected heads of state since he is a product of a coup. Howver they agreed that he attends the summit as an observer. pic.twitter.com/GLIBxaBYU1
— Steve Biko 🇿🇿🇼🇿 (@SteveBikos) March 20, 2018
"The claim that vaMnangagwa has not been welcomed by the AU is balderdash, absolute balderdash. In the first place AU sessions have not started they are only starting tomorrow, what we have are preliminaries to that session," Mr Charamba said.
"He has been doubly congratulated by (Olusegun) Obasanjo on two counts: One, for managing a peaceful transition which has made the continent proud, and I am quoting "for managing a peaceful transition which has made the continent proud' and Obasanjo adds 'please keep the continent going'. Secondly for so quickly responding to the launch of the Continental Free Trade area," Mr Charamba added.
President Mnangagwa will tomorrow join fellow heads of state and government at the Kigali Convention Centre to sign the AfCTA, an agreement crafted to enhance intra-African trade and make the continent the largest free trade area created since the formation of the World Trade Organisation 23 years ago.
Source - zimpapers
