AU summit kicks off with the ordinary session of the Executive Council in Niger

The Executive Council of the AU will have its ordinary session on the the 4th and 5th July to deliberate on important documents and reports of AU organs.

This meeting will hold on the sidelines of the African Union Heads of State extraordinary Summit on the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) scheduled to take place on the 7th of July 2019 in Niamey, Niger.

The summit is expected to bring together about 50 heads of state who are expected to arrive from Friday, preceded by ministers on Thursday.

The Summit will be dedicated to the launch of the operational phase of the AfCFTA as well as its operational instruments.

The Nigerien authorities have set up a “special mechanism” in Niamey to ensure the security of the summit.

The capital is already heavily militarized, while large hotels, restaurants and public places are constantly subjected to security checks.