Museveni hands over IGAD chair
Mar 20, 2006
PRESIDENT Yoweri Museveni yesterday handed over the chairmanship of the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) to Kenya head Mwai Kibaki at the 11th Summit of Heads of State and Government in Nairobi.
By Reuben Olita
In Nairobi
PRESIDENT Yoweri Museveni yesterday handed over the chairmanship of the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) to Kenya head Mwai Kibaki at the 11th Summit of Heads of State and Government in Nairobi.
Presidents Omar el Bashir of Sudan, Ismael Omar Walle (Djibouti), Abdullahi Yusuf of Somalia, Ethiopian prime minister, Meles Zenawi and UN and EU representatives attended.
“In the two years while I was at the helm Uganda has been cherishing IGAD with the region experiencing big negative and positive events,†Museveni remarked.
Kibaki said it was a big honour bestowed upon him to assume the chairmanship of the IGAD.
Kibaki said during Museveni’s tenure, the region had achieved a great deal in priority areas of co-operation such as conflict prevention, management and resolution, humanitarian affairs, infrastructure development, food security, environmental protection and economic cooperation.
The EU also lauded Museveni for his exemplary leadership.
On the negative side, apart from the conflicts or potential conflicts within and between states, Museveni cited droughts and consequent famines.
To avert the catastrophe, Museveni said there was need to have intra-regional trade to ensure the supply of food from food-surplus areas to food-deficit areas.
“It is paradoxical that while parts of the region are being ravaged by drought in Uganda, for instance, we are pouring 80,000 litres of milk everyday for lack of markets and four million metric tonnes of bananas are rotting every year for the same reason,†Museveni said, adding, “This is not logical. Our destiny is definitely in our hands.
We face unfair trade regimes with our partners in spite of some positive movements in the form of AGOA and others.â€
Museveni said the region witnessed the peace agreement in Sudan and the formation of the transitional federal government of Somalia.
Kibaki said peace and stability were a prerequisite for the realisation of effective regional integration and economic development. He urged Ethiopia and Eritrea to talk in order to diffuse tension.
In Nairobi
PRESIDENT Yoweri Museveni yesterday handed over the chairmanship of the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) to Kenya head Mwai Kibaki at the 11th Summit of Heads of State and Government in Nairobi.
Presidents Omar el Bashir of Sudan, Ismael Omar Walle (Djibouti), Abdullahi Yusuf of Somalia, Ethiopian prime minister, Meles Zenawi and UN and EU representatives attended.
“In the two years while I was at the helm Uganda has been cherishing IGAD with the region experiencing big negative and positive events,†Museveni remarked.
Kibaki said it was a big honour bestowed upon him to assume the chairmanship of the IGAD.
Kibaki said during Museveni’s tenure, the region had achieved a great deal in priority areas of co-operation such as conflict prevention, management and resolution, humanitarian affairs, infrastructure development, food security, environmental protection and economic cooperation.
The EU also lauded Museveni for his exemplary leadership.
On the negative side, apart from the conflicts or potential conflicts within and between states, Museveni cited droughts and consequent famines.
To avert the catastrophe, Museveni said there was need to have intra-regional trade to ensure the supply of food from food-surplus areas to food-deficit areas.
“It is paradoxical that while parts of the region are being ravaged by drought in Uganda, for instance, we are pouring 80,000 litres of milk everyday for lack of markets and four million metric tonnes of bananas are rotting every year for the same reason,†Museveni said, adding, “This is not logical. Our destiny is definitely in our hands.
We face unfair trade regimes with our partners in spite of some positive movements in the form of AGOA and others.â€
Museveni said the region witnessed the peace agreement in Sudan and the formation of the transitional federal government of Somalia.
Kibaki said peace and stability were a prerequisite for the realisation of effective regional integration and economic development. He urged Ethiopia and Eritrea to talk in order to diffuse tension.