Readout of the Secretary-General's meetings in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

The Secretary-General met with the following officials on the margins of the African Union Summit on Peace and Security Issues in Africa, yesterday in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: Kgalema Motlanthe, Deputy President of South Africa; Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, President of Equatorial Guinea; Abdoulaye Wade, President of Senegal; Meles Zenawi, Prime Minister of Ethiopia; Pierre Nkurunziza, President of Burundi; and Jean Ping, Chairman of the Commission of the African Union.

The main issues discussed were Libya, Sudan, Somalia and Côte d'Ivoire. On Libya, they discussed the attitudes at the African Union on the situation there and the likely outcome of the Summit. With the President of Burundi, the Secretary-General discussed the country's contribution to the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) and the political developments in the country. With the South African Deputy President, the Secretary-General also discussed climate change and sustainable development. The large gathering of African leaders in Addis Ababa also allowed the Secretary-General to have a series of useful informal conversations.