. Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma was appointed to the position after being nominated by SADC and had the support of the region. She was also supported by other regions in Africa. . The response to the first meeting she held in her position was positive. Personnel from South Africa have been sent to assist her. . The AU relied heavily on donor funding which often has certain conditions tied to it. Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma wished to ensure that African countries contribute more to the AU and reduce the reliance on foreign donors. . Funding has been a very important issue to Dr Dlamini-Zuma. She was committed to making progress during her tenure, and exerting pressure where necessary. . The filling of employment quota allocated was an issue because South Africans were unwilling to work in such conditions for lower pay. However, the possibility of topping-up salaries has been mooted. . In order to position itself strategically, South Africa fielded Dr Dlamini-Zuma as a SADC candidate, who subsequently was appointed to the highest position in the AU. As a country, South Africa was also in the African Union Peace and Security Council. Additionally, the Deputy Minister felt that South Africa could provide leadership through strategic engagement. Provision of financial assistance was regarded as a potential avenue for South Africa to exert influence. The Deputy Minister referred to other issues of foreign policy nature. He pointed out that the current president of France had demonstrated a shift from the traditional way Europe, and in particular, France had dealt with Africa. The President consulted the AU and some African leaders, such as President Zuma, before responding to Mali's request for military assistance to curb the rebel attacks in northern Mali. France's intervention was timely and welcomed by the Economic Organisation of West Africa States (ECOWAS) and the AU. Mali was a very interesting case and many analysts felt that the conflict was as a result of spill over effects from the Libyan conflict.