A select club of former African heads of state has been established in Maputo, with former president Nelson Mandela as its patron. The veterans have formed the Africa Forum as an informal network to help strategise plans for the development of the continent.

Its members also include former United Nations secretary general Boutros Boutros-Ghali of Egypt and former Organisation of African Unity (OAU) secretary-generals, William Mboumouma of Cameroon and Ahmed Salim Ahmed of Tanzania.

"It is a group of elders. Elders do not reprimand - they advise. This is a forum aimed at networking and complementing work in the area of peacemaking," said Mr John Pesha, interim executive secretary of the Africa Forum. Mr Pesha is a former Tanzanian diplomat based in South Africa.

Former Mozambican president Joaquim Chissano, who spearheaded the initiative, was elected chair, while former president of Benin, Nicophore Soglo, is his deputy. Mr Chissano said that the forum was an informal platform where former African leaders could map out strategies to assist the political, economic and social development of the continent.

"After a reflection, we saw that it was necessary for our experience to contribute to the positive development of our continent," he said. In a press statement the veterans said they were encouraged by the emergence of democracy and a culture of peace in Africa.

They were also pleased that more heads of state were relinquishing their power when their terms of office expired. Its brainstorming sessions will keep in mind the goals of the African Union, which replaced the OAU, and the New Partnership for Africa's Development (Nepad). The forum's first annual meeting will be held in mid-2006.

Mr Pesha said an executive secretariat would also be established at that time. He said the forum would approach the South African government about the possibility of basing the secretariat's offices in South Africa. The forum has been established with the support of the Africa Institute of South Africa.

Other former presidents who are members of the forum include Norbert Ratsirahonana of Madagascar, Carl Ossmann and Cassam Eteem of Mauritius, former Tanzanian presidents Benjamin Mkapa and Hassan Mwinyi, Henrique Rosa of Guinea-Bissau, Aristides Pereira and Ant�nio Mascarenhas Monteiro of Cape Verde, Miguel Trovoada of S�o Tom� and Pr�ncipe, Kenneth Kaunda of Zambia, Yakubu Gowon of Nigeria, Jerry Rawlings of Ghana, Quett Masire of Botswana, Pierre Buyoya of Burundi and Bakili Muluzi of Malawi.

Source: www.sagoodnews.co.za / 16 January 2006

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