African Union official calls on US to rejoin pact

Summit stresses need for cooperation on climate, praises China's commitment

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia - The African Union is calling upon the United States to rejoin the Paris climate agreement, saying the recent US withdrawal negatively affects Africa's vulnerable agriculture sector, said Josefa Sacko, AU Commissioner for rural economy and agriculture.

The AU official was speaking to the press on Saturday during the 29th AU summit in Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa, where she said the pan-African bloc has taken various measures to promote sustainable natural resource management and mitigate impacts of climate change.