Yesterday, 'Africa Day', marked the 47th anniversary of what is now the African Union (the AU was formed in 2002 to replace the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) which was established on May 25th, 1963). Forty seven years of united leadership from the 53 member states that make up the Assembly of the African Union have seen their fair share of ups and downs. The AU's initial handling of the crisis in Darfur, for example, was severely criticized. However, the 2008 invasion of Anjouan to oust separatist leader Colonel Mohamed Bacar and the 2003 peacekeeping intervention in Burundi are widely acknowledged as successes.
Click here for a detailed account of the AU's history - from the people behind the OAU to what it is today - and here for more information about their activity to date. Acknowledgment to allAfrica.com for the information.
Below, you can find an excerpt of Jean Ping (Chairperson of the Commission of the African Union)'s address to journalists earlier in the year, which has a brief run-through of the progress the AU is making on various countries. The full speech can be found here, and the full-text article can be downloaded from the AU website.
"Ladies and gentlemen,
"In 2009, conflicts and crises have again spilled a lot of ink. However, we hope 2010 will be the year for durable solutions and the culmination of processes begun to entrench peace, safety and well being for people in Africa. As I like to say, our ultimate aim is to preserve African citizens from fear, and poverty.
"As you are aware of, the crisis in Madagascar [sic] has given us a hard time. Neither the adoption of the Transitional Charter nor the agreements of Maputo and the Additional Act of Addis Ababa were enough to dissolve the Gordian knot of the distribution of ministerial portfolios. I just returned from Madagascar where my mission was to present compromise solutions to the Malagasy parties. The Commission's initiative was welcomed, but no positive conclusion can be announced as of now.
"In Somalia, President Ahmed Sharif has opened dialogue with the armed opposition and the hard-line insurgents. Notwithstanding this, Al Shabaab and Hisbul Islam continue to undermine the national reconciliation process by repeated attacks. This further deteriorates the humanitarian and security situation in the country. AMISOM whose mandate was renewed for a period of 12 months has still not attained the authorized effective of 8,000 men. I hope that the promised troops will be on the ground in 2010. In the meantime, it is clear that Somalia is still a major concern throughout Africa and the world.
"In Sudan, considerable progress has been made. In January 2010, the process of implementing the global peace agreement has celebrated its 5th anniversary. However, many challenges remain. National elections will be held in April 2010. They will be followed by the referendum for southern Sudan and the Abyei region in January 2011. Regarding Darfur, I hope that the implementation of the Mbeki Report will be a lasting solution.
"In Guinea, the existing team will not attend the elections and we hope for the return to constitutional rule as soon as possible.
"I hope that wherever else processes of reconciliation, reconstruction and post-conflict mediation are ongoing, peace will settle on a sustainable basis, this is what we are working on achieving and wish for. Hopefully 2010 will finally see the entry into force of the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance, which compliance will contribute greatly to the structural prevention of conflicts on the continent.
"Ladies and gentlemen,
"The year 2010 should be the year of renewal in Africa. It has been declared the Year of peace and security in Africa (APSA) by the Heads of State and Government of the African Union at the Special Session on the review and resolution of conflicts in Africa, August 31, 2009 in Tripoli, Libya. I have the honor and privilege today to announce its official launch with you and through you to the world press. I know that the success of this initiative will largely depend on the support that the media will provide. So I call up on you to relay this information as widely as possible. I know I can count on you to accompany us throughout 2010 in the implementation of activities planned under the APSA.
"We are not claiming that during 2010 there will be no crisis and no conflict in Africa. But the AU Commission will spare no effort to mark this year as a milestone because it will enable the installation of a socio-political climate propitious to rooting sustainable peace and security in Africa. The Year of peace and security in Africa targets four main objectives:
- Giving a new impulse to efforts for peace and security on the continent
- Give greater visibility to past and ongoing efforts of the AU to promote peace and security on the ground
- Invigorate the commitments made by Heads of States and Governments in promoting peace and security
- Establishing a bridge between official efforts to promote peace and security, initiated in the field by the grassroots communities
"Through these initiatives, Africa is well under way to find African solutions to African problems. May 2010 mark the end of the scourge of war and the string of miseries it entails. I reiterate my wishes for 2010 and beyond, with us, make peace to prevail in Africa!"
No comments:
Post a Comment