ADDIS ABABA

Former Djiboutian Prime Minister Dileita Mohamed Dileita has described Turkey as “Africa’s number-one friend”.

“Africa has now new friends and Turkey is number-one friend of Africa,” Dileita told Anadolu Agency during a visit to the newly-opened AA Regional Bureau in Addis Ababa on Friday.

He said that relations between African countries and Turkey are built on mutual respect and trust.

“The time of paternalism has already come to an end,” he said.

“We are in an era of alliance based on equality and Turkey fulfills the requirements in this regard.”

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davotoglu attended the 22nd summit of the African Union, which concluded in Addis Ababa on Friday.

Dileita, who served as a prime minister from 2011 to 2013, hailed the recent opening of an AA bureau in Addis Ababa, saying the office will serve as a voice of Africa.

The former premier said that the situation is changing in Africa as the continent is registering economic growth.

“Africa is now working to transform agriculture and its institutions of peace and democracy are developing,” he said.

Dileita, a member of a high-level panel on Egypt, described as “unacceptable” the unconstitutional overthrow of governments in some African countries.

“No more theatrical elections across the continent as we are assessing elections,” he said.

“Side by side with the evaluation of elections, we are significantly alleviating the causes of any form of unconstitutional change of government,” he said. “Constitutional order is the order of the day.”

The AU suspended Egypt’s membership two days after the military unseated elected president Mohamed Morsi – a measure taken automatically by the pan-African body in the event of unconstitutional change of government in a member state.

Source: Anadolu Agency