Ambassade du Burundi à Addis Abeba Diplomatie
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His Excellency Albert Shingiro, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Development Cooperation, delivered a powerful statement during the 24th Extraordinary Session of the Executive Council of the African Union, held at the AU Headquarters in Addis Ababa.
Addressing a distinguished audience that included the President of the Executive Council, the Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson of the African Union Commission, ambassadors and representatives of Member States, and the Panel of Eminent Africans, Minister Shingiro expressed Burundi’s deep concern over the treatment of Central African candidatures during the ongoing AU Commission leadership selection process.
“Mr. President, excellencies, colleagues — Burundi supports the position of Central Africa, as just presented by the Honourable Minister of Foreign Affairs of Equatorial Guinea,” declared Minister Shingiro, affirming regional unity and solidarity in the face of a process that has generated significant debate and disappointment.
Minister Shingiro commended the Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson of the Commission, the Office of the Legal Counsel, the PRC, and especially the Bureau of the Executive Council, for their commitment and efforts to preserve the cohesion and fairness within the Union. He also warmly praised the work of the Panel of Eminent Africans, describing it as “laudable and necessary to ensure that our continental organization is led by competent and dignified individuals.”
The Minister pointed out that Central Africa currently stands at a crossroads, having presented strong, qualified, and experienced candidates for two commissioner portfolios — candidates who were ultimately rejected. He noted that the April 9 report confirmed that at least one Central African candidate had met the required threshold, but was nonetheless eliminated based on an informal interpretation that is not found in any of the AU’s legal instruments.
“This approach,” he warned, “creates a dangerous precedent, outside any established legal framework.”
In conclusion, H.E. Shingiro called for flexibility and a sense of responsibility from the Panel of Eminent Personalities to ensure that Central Africa regains its rightful place within the Union, in the spirit of fairness and equity. “We trust in your sense of duty so that our region may be justly represented,” he stated.
