Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma elected to lead African Union

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon welcomed the election of Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma of South Africa as Chairperson of the African Union Commission, and congratulated her on being the first African woman chosen to lead the regional body, his spokesperson said today.

“The Secretary-General looks forward to working closely with Dr. Zuma on peace and security issues, as well as on achieving the Millennium Development Goals and promoting sustainable development in Africa,” Mr. Ban’s spokesperson added in a statement.

Ms. Zuma, who is South Africa’s home affairs minister, defeated the incumbent, Jean Ping of Gabon, in the vote that took place Sunday in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, during the summit of the 54-member African Union (AU).

The Secretary-General also expressed his appreciation to Mr. Ping for his stewardship of the AU Commission over the past four years, the spokesperson noted, and assured Dr. Zuma of the full support of the UN system.

“The United Nations will continue to strengthen its strategic partnership with the Africa Union to consolidate peace, security and development in Africa in the years ahead,” the spokesperson said.

Source: UN News Centre