Fifty years ago, veteran Ethiopian journalist Tsegaye Tadesse was a fresh-faced reporter, covering the historic signing of the charter that would bring African leaders together. "For the first time, Africa had come together," said 80-year-old Tsegaye, remembering the heady days in 1963 when he was working for the Ethiopian Herald newspaper, covering the historic inauguration of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), the forerunner of today's African Union (AU).

The special envoy of the African Union Commission (AU) chairperson who is also the head of the International Support Mission for Mali (MISMA), said on Friday that besides the expected UN forces, there will be a parallel support force to make the operations in Mali more offensive. While addressing the press in Bamako, Pierre Buyoya reiterated that the MISMA forces will soon be transformed into a United Nations (UN) peace keeping force. "We should first wait for a new UN Security Council resolution," he said while also noting that already there is a report of the UN secretary gen

The African Union on Monday suspended the Central African Republic and ordered sanctions against the rebel leaders who captured the capital Bangui over the weekend, a senior AU official said. "The council has decided to suspend with immediate effect (the) Central African Republic from all African Union activities and to impose sanctions, travel restrictions and an asset freeze on Seleka's leaders," said AU peace and security chief Ramtane Lamamra. The Seleka coalition is a loose alliance of three rebel movements. bur/mfp

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon will sign a regional agreement in Addis Ababa February 24 aimed at pacifying the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, his spokesman said Sunday. Ban's spokesman, Martin Nesirky, told AFP that invitations to the signing ceremony went out on Friday. "He intends to be at the event on 24 February in Addis Ababa. All the invited presidents have committed to either be there or delegate power to sign," he said.