Africa mourns Mwanawasa

2008-08-19 21:42

Addis Ababa - The death of Zambian President Levy Mwanawasa is a great loss to the African continent, the African Union said on Tuesday.

"The passing of President Mwanawasa is a great loss not only to the people of Zambia but also to the southern African region and the entire African continent," AU chief Jean Ping said in a statement.

"(Ping) expresses his condolences to the family of the late president and to the people of Zambia and expresses his solidarity and that of the African people to the people of Zambia during this difficult period," the statement added.

AU chairperson and Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete said: "Africa will remember Mwanawasa for his role in resolving African conflicts particularly when he was chairperson of the Southern African Development Community."

Mwanawasa, who died on Tuesday in a Paris hospital, was among the first African leaders to openly criticise Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe, after the lengthy delay in announcing the results of Zimbabwe's initial March 29 vote.

In his condolences, Kenya's President Mwai Kibaki said the "people of Zambia and Africa as a whole have lost an eminent leader".

"His struggle for justice and the economic well-being of his people will be an enduring chapter in the history of Zambia," Kibaki said.

The 59-year-old Mwanawasa suffered a stroke in Egypt on June 29, on the eve of an African Union summit. It was his second stroke in just over two years. He was airlifted to France after initially being treated in Cairo.

- AFP