Speaking at the closing ceremony of the AU summit in Ethiopia, Mr wa Mutharika said Africa should also take urgent steps to develop energy generating capacity in order to make electricity affordable to industries and the people.

The Malawian president also urged African nations to act collectively and individually in finding solutions to the remaining political crisis in the continent.

He said there had been positive political developments in Mauritania, Guinea and Guinea Bissau to restore democracy and hope to citizens He however noted that more effort needed to be made to address political challenges in Madagascar, Somalia and Darfur and to ensure that peace returned to those countries in the shortest time possible.

Africa must declare war on the unconstitutional change of governments and resolve to take strong and necessary punitive action on all authors of coup de tat and those that provided them with the means to unseat duly elected governments, said Mr wa Mutharika.

He said the AU budget for this year will be used to support programmes and activities implemented by the various AU sectors. He urged all AU member countries to pay their contributions, adding that the money was not even enough to meet all requirements and that there was a need to identify alternative sources.

The AU chairman applauded the decision of the continental body to launch a fund for African women, saying it demonstrated a shared commitment to promote the socio-economic status of women on the continent. The decision, he said, was a practical step to elevate the quest for pronounced action in addressing the needs of women in the continent. BOPA