OAU Chief Arrives in Zambia on Preparations of SummitSecretary General of the Organization of African Unity (OAU) Salim Ahmed Salim arrived here on Thursday afternoon to discuss with the Zambian side over the level of the country's preparedness to host the OAU summit.Upon his arrival at the Lusaka International Airport, he told reporters that his mission is to "look at the physical aspects of preparations, things like transportation, accommodation and so on". "The meeting in Lusaka will be very important since we are going to discuss how to transform the OAU into the African Union," Salim said. During his three-day trip, Salim will inspect the Mulungushi International Conference Center and the Mulungushi Village, which will accommodate some of the heads of state. The 37th OAU summit will take place here from July 9 to 11. The African Union is loosely based on the European Union idea and is due eventually to consist of an executive, a central bank, a monetary fund, a parliament and a court of justice. The OAU was established in 1963 by the early leaders of African independence to use it to launch a United States of Africa, an idea which failed because of various reasons. |
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