Peter Mutharika invites Mugabe to US youth meeting
Malawi President Peter Mutharika, who is also United Nations Demographic Dividend and Champion of Youth Empowerment, has invited Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe to chair a meeting of African countries on youth empowerment.
Slated for some time later this month, the meeting will be held on the sidelines of the 70th United Nations General Assembly meeting in New York in the United States of America.
“We are here to deliver a special message and a special invitation to His Excellency president Robert Mugabe from his dear brother the President of Malawi Peter Mutharika,” Labour and Manpower Development Minister Henry Mussa told journalists after delivering the invitation to President Mugabe at State House in Zimbabwe on Friday last week, according to zimdaily.com. Mussa told journalists after meeting President Mugabe that: “It is more about youth development, it’s all about youth empowerment — recognising the youths as the future leaders, in fact, current leaders of our nations.
“Of Malawi’s population today, 60 percent are youths and we are saying it’s high time we go into top gear in as far as demographic dividend and investing in the youths is concerned.
“So, the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe, who is the current chairperson of the African Union, will be expected to preside over co-convening of a high-level meeting at the United Nations during the forthcoming 70th United Nations General Assembly.”
Mussa, according to Daily Mail, justified the decision to have Mugabe at the event, saying the whole agenda is to shape the nations that constitute Africa as a continent and let alone the world on raising the profile of the youths in social and economic development.
Mugabe, together with other prominent leaders in his government, are under sanctions which were extended for another year in May this year.
But according to the US Embassy in Malawi, Mugabe is not restricted since the event will take place under the United Nations banner.
“US sanctions do not permit travel by president Robert Mugabe and certain other Zimbabwean officials to the United States. However, we honour our obligations under the Headquarters Agreement with the United Nations and facilitate travel by representatives of member states to the UN headquarters,” reads a statement from Public Affairs Office of the US Embassy in Malawi.
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