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Ethiopia Ratifies Constitutive Act of African Union
The Organization of African Unity (OAU) announced Tuesday that Ethiopia has become the 32nd country to ratify the Constitutive Act of the African Union.
Ethiopia has deposited the instrument of ratification with the secretariat, the OAU said in a statement, adding that to date 53 OAU members have signed the Constitutive Act, with Morocco as the only outsider in the continental body.
"Other member states which have not yet ratified the act have informed the 5th extraordinary session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government, which was held on March 1 in Sirte, Libya, that they have initiated the process of ratification in their various countries," the statement said.
OAU Executive Chairman and Togolese President Gnassingbe Eyadema declared the establishment of the African Union on March 2 at the closing session of the Libya summit, which was attended by some 45 heads of state and government.
According to Article 28 of the Constitutive Act, which was adopted during the 36th annual OAU summit in Lome, capital of Togo, last July, the African Union shall come into force 30 days after the ratification of the act by two-thirds of the OAU members.
After coming into force, the Addis Ababa-based union will go through a one-year transition period during which key issues such as democracy, human rights and economic cooperation are to be addressed.
During the transition period, the union's operation will be governed by three constitutions, its own, the OAU and the African Economic Community.
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