Published: 31 January 2014

President Mugabe was yesterday elected First Deputy Chair of the African Union, rendering futile a decision by the European Union not to invite him to a summit of the two blocs slated for Belgium in April.

The AU Executive Council was firm in that Europe should not be allowed to dictate to African Heads of State and Government who will attend the summit.

The resolution will be tabled for adoption at today's 22nd Ordinary Session of the AU General Assembly.

President Mugabe's election to the post, to which he was seconded by Southern Africa, positions him to assume the AU chairmanship next year.

The President also chaired an Extraordinary Sadc Summit here that lifted regional sanctions imposed on Madagascar following a 2009 coup in that country.

The Head of State and Government and Commander-in-Chief of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces is the current SADC Deputy Chair and will chair the regional bloc from next year's summit.
- herald

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