Mass AxiGye named ambassador of the Gambia to Ethiopia

Mass AxiGye is the new ambassador of the Islamic republic of the Gambia to Ethiopia and the permanent representative to the African Union.

The Gambia's main economic activities are farming, fishing and tourism. About a third of the population lives below the international poverty line.

AxiGye said his focus as ambassador will be on historical events coming this year, such as the 10th anniversary of the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child as well as ongoing initiatives, such as putting strategies into place so the Gambia can achieve goals set forth in the African Union Commission's (AUC) Agenda 2063.

AxiGye also plans to be active in planning the next Tokyo International Conference on African Development. This conference, the goal of which is to promote communication between Japan's and Africa's leaders and development partners, takes place every five years. The next conference will be in 2018.

On Monday, AxiGye accepted the position with a letter to African Union Commission (AUC) Chair Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, where he lauded Zuma's leadership skills and stressed that he would dedicate himself to improving relations between the Gambia and the AUC.

Zuma said she looked forward to AxiGaye's contributions to the AUC and hoped he would offer input on the African Union Summit, which will take place in late January.