Former Zambian leader Kenneth Kaunda (Phd), who led his country in its first years as an independent state, returned to Addis Abeba last week to petition for Ethiopia's support for his country's nominee for chairman of the Africa Union (AU) Commission. During his trip, Kaunda took time to visit the tree he planted on May 25, 1963, on the same day of the approval of the charter for the Organisation of African Unity, the AU's prior incarnation. He told journalists that returning to find the former sapling fully grown in front of the Economic Commission for Africa reminded him of an important time in the African struggle for freedom. The leader, now 82, also planted two new trees at the National Palace on Friday December 21 as part of Ethiopia's Millennium celebration. "Ethiopia has taken the leadership when we were planting trees in Addis at the height of the struggle. Now I am planting another tree for the next millennium," said Kaunda, beaming. Kaunda is pictured here looking at the tree he planted 44 years ago with Seyoum Bereded, Director of the Secretariat of the Ethiopian Millennium Festival National Council. Kaunda, widely known by his nickname KK, was the president of Zambia from 1964 to 1991.