African Union marks 50 years

(ROUGH CUT -- NO REPORTER NARRATION)

Leaders from Africa and around the world arrived at the African Union headquarters in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa to celebrate the organization's 50th anniversary Saturday.

Fifty years ago, the Organization of African Unity was founded to work towards the unification of Africa. The organisation later developed into the African Union, or AU.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and President of Brazil Dilma Rousseff were among the foreign dignitaries who attended.

Latin America's leading economy has launched a drive to expand its economic ties with Africa, a sign of how crises in the rich world are pushing faster-growing emerging economies to trade and invest among themselves, economists say.

A number of countries in the continent are seen to be very close to China and the U.S wants to strengthen its relationship with the continent with John Kerry's visit.