President Jacob Zuma
PANA
Cape Town, South Africa – South Africa’s President Jacob Zuma Tuesday arrived in Dakar, for a two-day State visit to Senegal, the first by a South African Head of State.
President Zuma, who is scheduled to hold talks with his Senegalese counterpart Macky Sall, will address the impasse between the International Criminal Court (ICC) and several African countries which are alleging that there is a bias towards the continent.
The African Union (AU) is due to meet this month to discuss its concerns about the ICC.
If the 34 African member countries withdrew from the court, it could effectively be its death knell.
Several African leaders, including Uganda’s Yoweri Museveni and Rwanda’s Paul Kagame, used last week’s UN General Assembly in New York to slam then ICC.
And ahead of his departure to Senegal, South Africa’s ruling African National Congress instructed President Zuma to join other African countries who allege bias by The Hague-based court.
Presidential spokesman Mac Maharaj said the South African leader’s visit will further cement economic ties between the two countries, as further cooperation will be explored in the fields of tourism, infrastructure, food security, retail, communication and energy investment projects.
The South Africa-Senegalese business forum will meet during the state visit to discuss further cooperation.
With regards to promoting economic development in the continent, Presidents Zuma and Sall share two important portfolios.
President Sall is the Chairperson of NEPAD Heads of State and Government Orientation Committee, which dovetails with the role of President Zuma as chairperson of the Presidential Infrastructure Championing Initiative within the AU.
