Thanks to $150 million in Chinese aid, the African Union is proceeding with the expansion of its headquarters in Addis Ababa – a project long-delayed due to lack of funds. The annex, which will provide much-needed office and meeting space for the A.U. staff, will be built on the site where the Almebekange or “End of the World” prison, notorious for ex-dictator Mengistu Haile Mariam’s mass execution of opposition officials, once stood. It will sit across the A.U.’s main office, on land donated by the Addis Ababa city administration in 2004. China, which has financed similar initiatives to develop roads, hospitals and ports in Africa, has also pledged to construct housing projects for top A.U. officials.
Source: China to build $150 mln annex for African Union HQ (Reuters)
