Breakthrough for Kiswahili use in AU official business

Dar es Salaam. The African Union (AU) and all its organs have started executing the resolution of the 35th summit of heads of state and government of using Kiswahili as the Union’s official language.

The milestone was unveiled on Thursday through a public notice issued by the Tanzania Embassy in Ethiopia.

The statement availed to The Citizen says Kiswahili was among the languages used during the meeting of envoys committee/permanent representatives of African countries in the AU and the African Court working in Arusha Tanzania held from March 10 to March 11, 2022. The meeting was aimed at strengthening businesses undertaken by envoy’s committee and the African Court.

According to the statement, Tanzania permanent envoy to Ethiopia and the AU, Mr Innocent Shiyo, commended the AU decision, saying it was making Kiswahili an exceptional language in the continent.

“Millions of Africans can effectively and efficiently follow up AU activities,” he was quoted in the statement. He commended President Samia Suluhu Hassan for supervising the matter 59 years of the establishment of the AU formerly known as the Organisation of the African Union (OAU).

According to him, Kiswahili will promote the African integration and implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) as the language of business and wide communications.

Ambassador Shiyo said in the statement that on March 30, 2022, he received an official communique from an organ of the AU written in Swahili, saying this was a huge success.

“The document invited the United Republic of Tanzania to participate to the 14th meeting of the special committee of ministers of Defence, Peace and Security and the 17th meeting of the chiefs of defence and security,” reads part of the document.

“This is a huge responsibility in fighting for the use of Kiswahili as the AU official language,” adds the statement.

The achievement comes just weeks after Vice President Philip Mpango represented President Hassan to a meeting in which he delivered his speech in Swahili, where he reiterated the importance of adopting native languates as official AU working tools. “The adoption will send an important message how AU was organized to reach and serve citizens in the continent,” said Dr Mpango during the 35th ordinary meeting of the heads of state in February this year.

During the meeting, Dr Mpango said the use of Kiswahili would strengthen the AU integration both socially and economically ahead of the implementation of the AfCFTA protocol aimed at promoting trade and bringing prosperity among its citizens.

“The use of Kiswahili will bring opportunities to millions of Africans using the language as their first, second or third language to fully participate and benefit on AfCFTA ahead the continent’s 60th anniversary reaching 2023,” said the Vice President.But, the release said the 71st meeting of the AU commission on human rights commenced yesterday with the Secretariat based in Bangul, Gambia asking Tanzania to facilitate transport of four interpreters.

The statement says that the four interpreters started their job yesterday and that the job will be extended to the 73rd ordinary commission’s meeting slated for September this year.