Accra (Greater Accra) 9th June '99

President Jerry John Rawlings on Tuesday appealed to member states of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) to attend the continental body's next summit which opens in Algeria next month.

He said Algeria's political crisis should not deter members from showing up at the summit.

"Meetings have been held in the past under more serious conditions. So there is no excuse for us to absent ourselves".

President Rawlings said this when an envoy from President Abdelaziz Bouteflika delivered a special message to him at the Castle, Osu, inviting him to the summit.

He said African countries' presence at the summit would afford them a better understanding of the crisis in Algeria.

Algeria plunged into crisis when the government cancelled elections, which Moslem fundamentalists were on the verge of winning. An armed campaign launched by them has since seen hundreds killed.

President Rawlings said in the past, Algeria contributed immensely to the African liberation struggle, using its own resources.

"Our presence at the summit will demonstrate our appreciation''.

He said as a new millennium approaches, African countries need to collaborate in terms of development, if not "we will be paying a higher price as we move into the next millennium''.

President Rawlings told the envoy, Mr Blaid Abdelsalam that "there is no need for your President to send a delegation inviting us to the summit. We will be there. It is an obligation".

Mr Abdelsalam said Algeria attaches importance to Ghana's presence at the summit, taking into account Ghana's dynamic role in African affairs.