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Below were the ambassadorial activities undertaken on the 6th, 8th and 12th November, 2009 by Sierra Leone's Ambassador to the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia and Permanent Representative (PR) to the African Union Commission.
His Excellency Ambassador Andrew Bangali is also accredited as Sierra Leone's PR to the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa or ECA.
Ambassador Bangali on 6th November attended the Preparatory Ministerial Meeting of the African States Parties to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC) at the African Union headquarters. The meeting was organised by the Commission.
The meeting was held in pursuant to a mandate given by the Assembly of Heads of State and Government at its 13th Ordinary Session held in July 2009 in Sirte, Libya. The Rome Statute under which the ICC is established is coming up for review next year and Africa will host the Review Conference of States Parties in Kampala, Uganda.
The Ministerial Conference was preceded by an Experts' Meeting, which was attended by Sierra Leone's Deputy Ambassador to the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, Mr. Amadu Koroma.
Excels in Addis Ababa
On 8th November, among the Commonwealth countries represented in Ethiopia through their diplomatic missions, the British Ambassador to the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, His Excellency Norman Ling selected Ambassador Bangali to do the Reading at the Remembrance Day Service on behalf of the Commonwealth.
The Reading was taken from the Book of Mathew 5: 43-48. The Service was held at the Commonwealth War Graves Cemetery at Gulele in Addis Ababa. The event marked the 64th Anniversary of the end of World War II.
Ambassador Bangali's selection to do the Reading at the Remembrance Day Service on behalf of the Commonwealth can not be unconnected to his vast knowledge in contemporary global issues, world politics and international bureaucracies.
He has performed exemplarily well since his assumption of duty as Sierra Leone's Ambassador to Ethiopia.
Chairs PRC Meeting
Sierra Leone on 12 November once again took the centre stage at the African Union when Ambassador Bangali was handed the mandate of chairing the Permanent Representatives Committee (PRC) meeting.
The Committee is comprised of African Ambassadors and Permanent Representatives charged with the responsibility of overseeing the work of the Commission.
After he assumed the Chair of the meeting, Ambassador Bangali was greeted by a thorn of applauds and congratulations from colleague Ambassadors from the Republics of Liberia, Nigeria Malawi, Tanzania, Mali, Senegal, Uganda, Chad, Ethiopia and a host of other diplomats.
The Ambassador also presided over deliberations on the Draft Agenda of the PRC's Nineteenth Ordinary Session slated for 25-26 January 2010, the Executive Council's Sixteen Ordinary Session from 28th-29th January 2010 and the Assembly of the Heads of State of the African Union normally called the AU Summit, which will take place from 31st January -2nd February 2010.
As Chairman, he used the occasion to officially welcome the newly accredited Togolese Ambassador to the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, Her Excellency, Mrs. Kouzahe Amoko Holadem as well as the new Ambassador of the Republic of Zambia, His Excellency Mr. Albert Muchanga to the diplomatic community in Addis Ababa bearing in mind that it is the hub of international diplomacy in Africa.
The meeting was also attended by the Commission's Secretary Ambassador Jean Mfasoni; Deputy Chairperson, His Excellency Erestus Mwencha; Chief of Staff, Ambassador John Shinkaiye; Commissioner for Rural, Economic and Agriculture, Her Excellency Mrs. Tumusiime Rhoda Peace; Commissioner for Economic Affairs His Excellency Dr. Maxwell Mkwezalamba and the AU Head of Communication and Information Mrs. Habiba Mechjri Cheikh.
It is important to note that after Ambassador Bangali was appointed as Sierra Leone's envoy to Ethiopia by His Excellency President Dr. Ernest Bai Koroma, Sierra Leone has gained an outstanding prominent profile in the AU and the ECA.
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