By Simegnish Yekoye
Malawian president Bingu Wa Mutharika, the newly elected chairman of the African Union on Tuesday outlined the continental government’s goals that it would be embarking on.
 
Speaking to journalists after the closing of the AU summit Mutharika stressed on the need to put in place a robust food security program to eliminate hunger from the continent within the next five years and that no child in Africa dies of hunger and malnutrition anymore.
 
Mutharika also called on fellow African leaders to develop transport and communications infrastructures to connect all the regions of the continent.Libyan president Muamar Qadaffi was noticeable absent during the last two days of the summit as he left early Tuesday morning after he lost a bid to be re-elected for a second term as AU chairman.
 
Mutharika also noted progress in regards to the developments in Mauritania, Guinea and Guinea Bissau where he said ‘concrete steps have been taken to restore democracy and hope to ordinary citizens.
 
On challenges Mutharika said: “While we celebrate this positive news of the return to constitutional order, we should together remain seized with the outstanding challenges in Madagascar, Somalia and Darfur , to ensure that peace returns to these troubled spots in the shortest time possible. We should remain steadfast to use all means at our disposal, as an organization, to resolve intractable situations and restore peace everywhere.
 
“Our efforts to restore political stability shall require the full cooperation of the political players in these countries, but more importantly, the regional economic communities, which have far more comparative advantages in facilitating contact and dialogue between warring parties”.
 
Mutharika reminded that the AU had designated the year 2010 as a Year of Peace and security for the continent and that the continent should declare war on unconstitutional change of government on the African soil, and resolve to take strong and necessary punitive action against all authors of coup d’ etat and those that provide them the means to unseat duly elected governments.
 
On administrative issues he called on member states of the Union to pay their assessed contributions and asked the Au commission to supplement its income through seeking alternative sources of funding by utilizing its global partnership.
 
In conclusion Mutharika said: “May I reiterate the need for our organization to go beyond making, decisions, declarations and resolutions. The need to take action now is urgent so that whatever we decide and declare directly benefits the common African citizen. It is only when we act now that our people will come to appreciate the existence, foundations and future of our organization.”
 
Thought the summit was convened under the theme  “Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in Africa: Challenges and Prospects for Development” much of the discussions revolved around conflicts, the AU’s budget which was decided to be 250 million USD the integration of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) within the AU.
 
In other news the African Union’s (AU) staff members have requested the new chairman president Bingu Wa Mutharika to insure them more secured contracts. More and more employees are leaving their posts at the commission threatened by job insecurity due to the very short-term contracts of the AU.“The present trend is two years of renewable job contract that leaves the staff with insecurity,” said the Chair of the staff union a day after the Summit was over. “Many of the staffs are resigning and looking for a safer job.”Mutharika assured the staff members that he will do his best during his term to help resolve the frustration.
“At least for the next 12 months, there is someone who recognizes your work and who says thank you”, said Mutharika The Chair of the staff union presented to the new chairperson also other issues members need to focus on, like medical insurance problems and the protection of staffs while they are on duties.“The current rules and regulations are from the time of the former OAU,” said AU Commissioner, Jean Ping, stressing the point that those regulations have to be changed.On his part, Mutharika reminded the organization’s responsibility, the expectations of the rest of the world and requested the AU members to focus more on implementations.“We usually come up with declarations, decisions, communiqués and resolutions but who does know who is going to implement it,” he said pointing out special priorities that need be given first hand.Mutharika mentioned three top issues, which need to be focused on this year - agriculture and food security as first priority, transport infrastructure as second and energy as third priority.“Africa should be able to feed Africa. I am determined that after five years not a single child should experience starvation in Africa” he said.