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Nigeria
2006 Angola
2005 Zanzibar, Tanzania
2003 |
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However, the AU has sent peacekeepers to Burundi and Darfur
and has deployed an intervention force in Somalia.
Among the dignitaries attending Saturday's ceremony was US
Secretary of State John Kerry, who warned Nigeria's armed
forces to avoid human rights abuses in their campaign
against Islamist extremists.
While defending Nigeria's right to crack down on militant
group Boko Haram, Mr Kerry said "one person's atrocities do
not excuse another's".
On Friday, AU foreign ministers backed a request from Kenya
to have crimes against humanity cases, brought against the
president and vice president by the International Criminal
Court in The Hague, referred back to Nairobi.
President Uhuru Kenyatta and his deputy, William Ruto, both
deny allegations of orchestrating violence after the
disputed 2007 election.
The ceremony was also attended by Brazil's President Dilma
Rousseff - her third visit to Africa in three months.
On the sidelines of the summit, Brazilian officials said the
country would cancel or restructure almost $900m (£600m)
worth of debt with Africa.
Brazil's trade with African countries has increased fivefold
since 2002.
Latin America's economic powerhouse has also opened 19 new
embassies in Africa in the last decade.
Since it was founded in 2002, the AU's aim has been to push
for peace and prosperity.
But its drive to create a middle-income continent free of
poverty and conflict is still a distant dream, the BBC's
Gabriel Gatehouse reports.
While six out of the world's 10 fastest-growing economies
are now in Africa, campaign group Transparency International
says nearly half of the 20 most corrupt countries are also
African, our correspondent adds.
The only African country not part of the AU is Morocco,
which withdrew because of a dispute over Western Sahara. |
