Rawlings Leaves For Addis Ababa

Former President John Rawlings, who is also the African Union High Representative for Somalia, left Accra on Tuesday for Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, to take part in the 10th meeting of the AU Panel of the Wise.

The meeting, which takes place from May 12-13, will deliberate on ongoing conflict situations in Africa, according to a statement issued by the former President’s office in Accra. The Panel of the Wise is one of the pillars of the African Peace and Security Architecture which mandate is to advise the Chairperson of the AU on matters related to conflict prevention and resolution.

The Panel convenes regular brainstorming meetings with the AU Commission, AU mediators, envoys, as well as various experts, to take stock of ongoing efforts, identify and learn lessons from AU’s experiences at large.

The statement said the discussions on Somalia would primarily focus on assisting former President Rawlings and the African Union Mission on Somalia (AMISOM) in furthering the implementation of the Djibouti Peace Process for Somalia. General Arnold Quainoo, former General Officer Commanding the Ghana Armed Forces, and Mr Herbert Mensah, a business executive, accompanied former President Rawlings.