The Secretary-General of the OAU/AU
Ministers of Foreign Affairs
Heads of Delegation
The Assistant Secretaries General
Distinguished Ambassadors
The OAU Secretariat
Ladies and Gentlemen
We have come to a close of our meeting. We have
come to the last meeting of the Organization of
African Unity. In actual fact this period does not
represent the death of our OAU but its rebirth as the
African Union. The Organization of African Unity has
achieved its principal mandate of the liquidation of
the systems of colonialism and apartheid crime against
humanity in the continent. It has advanced
significantly in the realization of our cherished
ideals of continental unity, solidarity and cohesion.
We today pay a special tribute to this monumental
achievement of our Organization. We pay homage to the
OAU’s struggles that pushed forward the frontiers of
human dignity, of stability, peace and respect of
human rights and democracy in Africa. Whatever its
shortcoming, the OAU, has served the continent
magnanimously in truly turning ours into a continent
of hope and with a better future. We need to build on
the gains of the OAU as a firm foundation for the
launch of the AU.
Our work in the last few days poignantly points to
our commitments to change the destiny of our continent
to one of sustainable development, good political and
economic governance and the end of all conflicts.
Conflicts that have and continue to engulf the
continent remain a blot and a dark mark on our
success. As agreed, we must deal with the problems of
refugees and the displaced people as a result of
conflict situations. As we work to give concrete
expression to the rebirth of Africa, it is our hope
that those who are still involved in conflicts will
abandon it and join with us in this historic march
into the sunrise of the AU.
I wish to thank all of you for your kind
cooperation throughout the meeting. All your
interventions throughout the meeting embody your
commitment to take the destiny of the African
continent into your own hands. You have shown skeptics
and Afro-pessimists that all of its people are
prepared to work very hard to change the false
perception of Africa as the dark and unfathomable
continent into the one that is radiant and beaming
with hope into a successful future. Consequently, you
have won yourselves the frontline row in the army of
African Renaissance.
I must also express my heartfelt and sincere
gratitude to a fine son of Africa, the
Secretary-General of the OAU/AU H.E. Ammara Essy for
the sterling work he has performed in advancing the
cause of Africa in all his interactions on our behalf.
Your timely intervention, Mr. Secretary-General, your
wise counsel on many issues we discussed, and your
sense of humor is much appreciated.
Furthermore, we wish to express our gratitude to
the unsung heroes and heroines of the OAU Secretariat
for their important and decisive role in ensuring that
we accomplish our work timeously.
We have wrapped and wound up the affairs of our
Organization in readiness to address new challenges.
However, the most important challenge facing us is to
ensure that the new AU works for the betterment of
Africa. Indeed the dawn of the new day is upon us. Let
those who have "eyes to see, see" and
recognize that Africa is on the move to a better
tomorrow. A brighter day has finally arrived.
I thank you
