Story by Wellington Makonese
THE 10th High-Level African Union (AU) Seminar on the promotion of peace and security ended this Monday in Algeria, with governments being challenged to protect AU guidelines and take charge of peace-keeping missions.
The two-day Seminar on Peace and Security for Africa saw discussions centring on the role of Africa on the United Nations Security Council and strategies for conflict resolution in Africa.
Members expressed commitment to the cause for peace.
“We worked on improving and enhancing the mechanism for coordination with all African AU Peace and Security Council to have a common position and to defend the issues of the African continent in the UN Security Council. So, we have dealt with mainly the expansion and the spread of the scourge of the unconstitutional changes of government, and terrorism,” said Algeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and National Community Abroad, Honourable Ahmed Attaf.
African Union Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security His Excellency Ambassador Bankole Adeoye said, “We are committed to the vision. We are also very ambitious and very inspirational in making sure we get Agenda 2063. We have engaged on sober reflection after 10 years of this process. Coordination, coherence, consultation, and communication really matter between A3 and the African members of the UN Security Council. But we must also deepen democracy and good governance for assured human security.”
Foreign Affairs and International Trade Minister, Ambassador Frederick Shava who represented Zimbabwe spoke on the importance of promoting and taking control of peace initiatives on the continent.
“I underline the importance of ensuring that African common positions were respected namely the principles of AU ownership and leadership as well as command and control of all Peace Support operations on the African continent. I highlighted the need to uphold the principle of subsidiarity and complementarity to allow the AU and its regional mechanisms to play a leading role in finding practical and lasting solutions to conflict on the continent,” he said.
The High-Level seminar brought together current and incoming elected African Union member states on the UN Security Council, and the AU Commission and comes at a time when some African nations have been rocked by instability as a result of insurgencies.
