AU Summit Stresses Need for Changing Negative Image of Africa, Establishing Pan African Media

February 5/2022/ENA/ African Union (AU) Heads of State and Government Summit stressed the need to work on changing the existing negative image of the continent which is identified with poverty, backwardness and conflict.

The 35th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the African Union Heads of State and Government kicked off today in Addis Ababa under the theme: “Building Resilience in Nutrition on the African Continent: Accelerate the Human Capital, Social and Economic Development”.

During the opening ceremony of the summit, AUC Chairperson, Moussa Faki Mahamat, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, outgoing and incoming chairpersons of the AU, and other dignitaries delivered speeches focusing on the political and economic challenges and future prospects of the continent.

Briefing journalists about today’s deliberation of the summit, Spokesperson of Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Dina Mufti said the summit stressed the need to work on changing the existing image of the continent which is identified with poverty, backwardness, conflict, instability, among other things.

The session noted that Africans should work hard to change these bad narratives by creating a continent that is peaceful, stable and self-sufficient in all aspects including food security.

In order to bring substantial improvements in these challenges, the summit urged that Africans must take the potentials of the continent for its overall development and prosperity, Dina stated.

According to the Spokesperson, issues of strong cooperation among African countries and the need to have an independent African media were also the attention in the session.

It was learned during the summit that it is time for Africa to have a Pan-African media outlets with a view to correcting the ongoing misinformation about the continent and to ensuring its interests.