UN determined to ‘silence guns’ in Africa- Guterres
The Secretary-General of the United Nations, António Guterres, has pledged that the United Nations has embarked on an agenda to silence and bring total stability in Africa. Mr Guterres said this as he addressed the African Union’s 35th Summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
The Summit was held under the theme:”Strengthening Resilience in Nutrition and Food Security on the African Continent: Strengthening Agro-Food Systems, Health and Social Protection Systems for the Acceleration of Human, Social and Economic Development.”.
The UN boss pledged his support for African forces and emphasised the efforts to fight terrorist activities in the continent.
“I reaffirm my appeal for the cessation of hostilities, humanitarian access, and inclusive national dialogue in Ethiopia, the seat of the African Union and the country that is critical to the continent’s civility,” Guterres said.
“I pledge my full support of my good offices to silence the guns across the continent from our joint missions and programs, to strengthen electoral processes and peaceful transfer of power to the UN peacekeeping and peacebuilding efforts, and to our commitment to robust support to African forces and interventions to tackle terrorists across Africa.”
The UN Chief reaffirmed commitment to the cessation of hostilities in Ethiopia, adding that they had planned to focus on peace projects in Africa.
“My report and our common agenda offers a fresh opportunity to rethink and reposition our approach to peace in Africa. And to ensure our peace architecture is fit for a purpose to address the rapid shift and changes we see across the continent and around the world. I encourage your continued engagement as we advance this agenda together, ” he noted.
He said that Africa should devise governance structures that promote democracy and participation to enable its citizens to coexist with respect to human rights and international humanitarian law.
“We need to reignite the engine of conflict in Africa. Conflict and violence have many roots, from economic inequalities and competition for scarce resources, among others. “The African states are proudly multi-ethnic, multi-religious, and multicultural,” Guterres said.
“AU is about showing our people can coexist, even flourish, by working together. That requires inclusive and participatory structures that speak to this diversity through governance that delivers for all.”
Security concern
Many African countries have of recently witnessed regime change through coups d’état for example in Sudan and West African countries like Burkina Faso, Mali and Guinea Bissau.
The AU Head of Peace and Security Council, Bankole Adeoye, revealed that African leaders condemned coups staged to oust African heads of states.
“Every African leader in the assembly has condemned unequivocally… the wave of unconstitutional changes of government,” Adeoye told AFP.
“Do your research: At no time in the history of the African Union have we had four countries in one calendar year, in 12 months, being suspended.”
The newly elected chairperson of the African Union who is the President of Senegal, Macky Sall, said peace and security in Africa was a great concern including curbing terrorism, social and economic issues.
“As our Union celebrates its 20th anniversary this year, we can be proud of the progress made under major initiatives such as NEPAD, PIDA, APRM, Vision 2063, institutional reform, the Great Green Wall, the AfCFTA, and more recently, our coordinated response to the COVID-19 pandemic,” The AU Chair said.
“At the same time, our challenges remain numerous and pressing; notably in the areas of peace and security, the fight against terrorism, environmental protection, health and economic and social development. I do not forget the resurgence of the phenomenon of coups d’état which constitutes a major attack on democracy and institutional stability on the continent, ” reiterated the AU new chairperson.
Sall replaced the President of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Felix- Antoine Tshisekedi, whose tenure ended as the Chairperson of the African Union in 2021.
