Staff Reporter

His Excellency the President of Zimbabwe and ZANU PF First Secretary Cde E. D Mnangagwa announced that he is proud that Zimbabwe was elected into the security and risk committee. 

President Mnangagwa said this in an interview, after attending the 35th African Union Heads of State General Assembly which was running from 5 to 6 February 2022 in Addis Ababa, in Ethiopia. 

Speaking during the same interview, President Mnangagwa highlighted that as a country Zimbabwe should be grateful to itself considering the way it has engaged in areas of conflict.

“At the last meeting it was proposed by some member states that they wanted Zimbabwe back in the Security and risk committee. This is really an honour to Zimbabwe. Member States feel that we have capacity to contribute towards peace on the continent. 

“I think we should be grateful to Zimbabwe as Zimbabweans not to any individual I think it is us as Zimbabweans in the manner we have performed in the past as well as we engage in the areas of conflict that we have earned this respect from the AU.

“I feel very proud as the President of Zimbabwe that we have been accorded this opportunity which rarely has ever happened to any member State,” President Mnangagwa said.

The 35th Ordinary Session of African Union touched on issues related to health, governance, peace and security amongst many other issues.

The AU launched its theme for year 2022, Year of Nutrition: “Strengthening resilience in nutrition and food security on the African continent: Strengthening agro-food systems, health and social protection systems for the acceleration of human social and economic capital development.”

The meeting also saw the handover of rotating leadership of the Union from H.E President Antoine Tshisekedi of the Democratic Republic of Congo who was the Chairperson in 2021, to President Macky Sall of Senegal.