The African Union (AU) said its Specialized Technical Committee on Transport, Transcontinental and Interregional Infrastructure and Energy (STC-TTIIE) has approved urgent measures to tackle the impacts of the Ukraine crisis on the African continent.
The AU Specialized Technical Committee, in its second extraordinary session from June 14 to 16, has made “crucial decisions” regarding the Russia-Ukraine crisis, the AU said in a statement issued late Friday.
“The meeting, attended by the AU member states, regional economic communities, and specialized pan-African institutions is dubbed crucial to apprehend and effectively respond to the economic shocks that Africa is facing due to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine crisis,” an AU statement read.
AU Commissioner for Infrastructure and Energy, Amani Abou-Zeid, told the virtual meeting that the current situation is “a double crisis” as it came at a time when African economies strive to recuperate from the global COVID-19 pandemic.
Abou-Zeid emphasized that the Ukraine crisis has contributed to soaring prices of energy and high cost of transport in Africa, which has negatively impacted agriculture, industry, trade, tourism, and various other socio-economic sectors. She said the crisis has posed pressures on the public budgets of African countries.
The AU infrastructure and energy commissioner emphasizes the need to rapidly adapt to the existing situations and devise innovative ways to seize possible opportunities that may arise.
“Africa can step in as an alternative source energy market through its number of projects under the Program for Infrastructure Development in Africa and other similar initiatives like the African Single Electricity Market that can be expedited to first address Africa’s energy needs and export to other regions,” Abou-Zeid said.
Tsoeu Mokeretla, Minister of Transport of Lesotho, on his part said the ongoing Russia-Ukraine crisis is already taking its toll on Africa.
Mokeretla emphasized the urgent need for Africa to collectively find ways of mitigating the impacts on the energy and infrastructure sectors thereby addressing the knock-on effects on other sectors.
The AU said the two-day session “came to a close after making crucial decisions regarding the Russia-Ukraine crisis.” It, however, did not outline the decisions.
MG/abj/APA