African Union assembly: "peace", a goal of Macky Sall’s 1-year term

**The African Union assembly drew to a close on Sunday with new chairperson Macky Sall devoting his one-year term to "peace" **

The 35th Ordinary Session of the African Union Assembly witnessed many key moments. Over the week-end in Addis Ababa, African leader reviewed problems that affected the continent last year. Senegale President Macky Sall took over as the new AU chairperson. In his inaugural speech, he presented peace as a main goal of his one-year term: "Our challenges are still far too numerous and urgent whether it be peace or security, unconstitutional changes of government, the protection of the environment, health as well as the economic and social development. We can turn a blind eye on the many grieving families, the lost lives, millions of displaced people or refugees. We can look away from schools and health institutions that are closed or the torn fabric of social cohesion. Common sense commands us to silence guns and build, build a culture of dialogue and mediation through African mechanisms of conflict resolution."

As the annual African Union summit drew to a close, the resergence of coups in Western Africa was one of the hot topics of the summit. The observer status granted to the state of Israel was also discussed.

The AU formed a committee to reexamine this status later.