The Munich Security Conference (MSC) will host its first event on the African continent as part of its MSC Core Group Meeting series on 14 – 15 April 2016, at the Sheraton Hotel and at the African Union Headquarters, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The joint fight against violent extremism, crisis prevention and management in Northern and Eastern Africa, as well as the security risks posed by epidemics and climate change are among the central topics of the two-day event.

The meeting will bring together around 60 senior leaders from Africa, Europe, and the US to exchange ideas in an informal setting. The MSC Core Group Meeting takes place on the occasion of the 5th Tana High-Level Forum on Security in Africa and is organized in partnership with the governments of Germany and Ethiopia as well as the African Union Commission.

Journalists are invited to join a press briefing from 1130 - 1230 HRS and to attend the opening ceremony on April 14, from 1500 - 1530 HRS at the Sheraton Hotel. The press briefing will be addressed by MSC Ambassador Wolfgang Ischinger where he will introduce the program and topics of the MSC Core Group Meeting and discuss current global and regional security issues.

Furthermore, journalists are invited to attend the opening ceremony of the second conference day on April 15, from 8.45 – 9.15 HRS at the African Union Conference Center, Small Conference Hall 4.