APA-Addis Ababa (Ethiopia) The Chairperson of the African Union (AU) Commission Moussa Faki Mahamat has called for concerted efforts to silence the guns in Africa as a cornerstone to realize a conflict-free continent.
The chairperson’s remark when the continental body marked the 20th anniversary of the AU Peace and Security Council (AU-PSC).
The AU held a high-level colloquium on Saturday to commemorate the occasion under the theme “20 Years of the AU-PSC as a Standing Decision-Making Organ: The Next Two Decades of the Peace and Security We Want in Africa” in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, the AU said in a statement.
The high-level colloquium stressed the crucial need to redouble continental efforts to silence the guns in Africa in the following years.
Highlighting the council’s major contributions in promoting and sustaining peace, security and stability across Africa, Faki said the council has, over the years, established fundamental principles for continental peace and security.
“The intimate link between peace and development, the promotion of African solutions to African problems, the rejection of violent solutions to African conflicts, the promotion of mediation and political dialogue, the rejection of external interference, and the unwavering commitment to the independence, sovereignty, integrity and unity of African states have all become part of the collective imagination under the AU-PSC,” the statement quoted Faki as saying.
According to the AU, since its establishment on May 25, 2004, the council has been actively engaged in addressing peace and security challenges on the continent.
It has made decisions that provide political guidance for conflict or crisis situations, including the deployment of peace support operations, high representatives, peace envoys and the Panel of the Wise for preventive diplomacy, which has led to the de-escalation of a number of crises across the continent.
According to Faki, soft cooperation between the AU-PSC and the United Nations Security Council has gradually been established, eventually providing greater visibility and recognition as a primary instrument in sustaining peace and security in Africa.
The AU Commission chief said one of the areas that need collective efforts in this regard is ensuring zero tolerance against unconstitutional changes of government across Africa. He further called for strengthening continental cooperation against external interference.
MG/as/APA