African leaders are set to gather this weekend for a special summit aimed at pushing through long-debated reforms to their pan-continental body.
The changes seek to streamline and empower the African Union — an ambitious call for an organisation often seen as toothless and donor-dependent, and analysts say time for forging a deal is short.
Egypt, which will assume the chairmanship of the AU early next year, has little interest in the reforms, they say.
The special summit is being held at AU headquarters in Addis Ababa this Saturday and Sunday at the insistence of Rwandan President Kagame, the pioneer of the reforms.
Elissa Jobson, head of African advocacy for the International Crisis Group (ICG) think tank, described the talks as a “last push” to enact as many changes before Kagame’s one-year term as chairman expires in January.
