Mombasa-June 25th, 2012: The Deputy Chairperson of the African Union Commission, H.E. Dr. Erastus Mwencha has thanked the Government of Equatorial Guinea for honoring its pledge by redeeming the sum of Two Million United States Dollars and providing in-kind donation to the Somali people. Dr. Mwencha was speaking in Mombasa, Kenya during the official handover ceremony of the donation of humanitarian aid from Equatorial Guinea to the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) of Somalia.

He said; IIt is worth recalling here the personal commitment of H.E.Teodoro Nguema Mbasogo, the then Chairperson of the African Union when he called for the gesture of solidarity from all member states to providing African solutions to African problems. The donation follows the Pledging Conference organised by the African Union (AU) for countries of Horn of Africa affected by drought and famine which was convened on 25 August last year in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Concerning the current status of the funds so far redeemed, the African Union Commission has allocated the sum of US$ 8.7 million Dollars through the UN Humanitarian and Resident Coordinator of the four affected countries in order to fund projects through a prioritization mechanism at the country level. With regard to in-kind donation, AU partners have been facilitating the distribution of such donations to the affected populations.L He said.

While appreciating the donation of the People and Government of Equatorial Guinea to Somalia, H.E. Dr. Erastus Mwencha said stakeholders should not forget that the drought and famine situation is becoming more complex in the humanitarian work.