Egypt likely to resume AU membership

With the African Union Commission (AUC) deciding to send a delegation to Egypt, suspended July 5 following a military coup that ousted president Mohammad Morsi, the North African nation could soon return to the fold, the head of the delegation said Monday

"The panel will meet the (AUC's) Peace and Security Council (PSC) after meeting with everyone and after observing the situation in Egypt, which should quickly come back to the AU family as an active member," Alpha Oumar Konare, a former president of Mali and former AUC chair.

He was speaking to reporters after a meeting between AUC chair Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma and Mona Omar, special envoy of Egypt's interim president to discuss the country's return to the AU.

The delegation will also include Gontebanye Festus Mogae, the former president of Botswana and Dileita Dileita Mahamed, former prime minister of Djibouti.

Omar said that Egypt's suspension arose out of a misunderstanding of the situation in the country because the revolution that took place was a popular uprising and not unconstitutional.

"We do not have a problem with welcoming the panel but we want to make sure that the mandate it is given is restricted to gathering information about the situation in Egypt and then coming back here to present the exact information to PSC," she said.

The panel will provide the PSC with clear information about the situation in Egypt that the Omar believes to be misunderstood.

Currently, in Egypt, a new government has been formed, presidential and parliamentary elections have been decided on and the process has started to draft a new constitution, Omar added.

"We are now on the right track," she said.

With the progresses made and the response of the [anel, the special envoy hoped Egypt will return as a member of the Union in the next few weeks.

"The panel will bring answers to all the questions on Egypt's situation" Dlamini-Zuma said.

(Hadra Ahmed can be contacted at hadraahmed@gmail.com)

--Indo-Asian News service

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