MAPUTO, 10 July – African leaders meeting in the Mozambican capital Maputo have called for a stronger African Union (AU) with functional structures that can help the continent better confront its many challenges.

Speaking at the second ordinary session of the Assembly of the Union, South African President Thabo Mbeki, the outgoing AU chairperson, called for the “earliest possible signing, ratification and entry into force of the Protocol Establishing the Peace and Security Council, the Protocol on the African Economic Community establishing the Pan African Parliament and the Court of Justice …”

He said these institutions, “together with the activation of the African Peer Review Mechanism, are central to the consolidation of peace, democracy and development and must therefore receive our urgent attention.”

The AU was formally established in Durban, South Africa, last year as a successor to the Organization of African Unity (OAU) with an expanded agenda to consolidate the gains of its predecessor as well as integrate African economies. To achieve its objectives, the Union has identified a number of priorities that range from conflict resolution to consolidation of democracy and governance, food security, fighting HIV/AIDS and other diseases, to poverty eradication.

Opening the summit, incoming AU chairperson and host President Joaquim Chissano said the AU is the most appropriate vehicle for resolving African problems. He urged African leaders to take the responsibility of tackling the continent’s challenges into their own hands.

“It’s our responsibility to find the right solutions for the conflicts and tensions that prevail on the continent in order to transform Africa into a region of peace and stability,” said the Mozambican president.

The AU is faced with a number of conflicts and cases of instability across the continent. These include Burundi, Central African Republic, Comoros, Côte d`Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Madagascar, Sierra Leone, Somalia and Sudan.

“Conflict resolution is a top priority for the Union,” said Mbeki, adding that the remaining conflicts “are being tackled with increased determination and many African countries are committing their own resources to conflict prevention, management and resolution”.

The South African president said that the G-8 group of countries has made a commitment to support the AU’s peace initiatives.

The AU is working on establishing the Peace and Security Council which will act as a standing decision-making organ for the prevention, management and resolution of conflicts on the continent.

“The Council will be a collective security and early-warning arrangement to facilitate timely and efficient responses to conflicts and crisis situations in Africa,” said Mbeki, adding that this will be supported by the AU Commission, a “panel of the wise, a continental early warning system, an African standby force and a special fund”.

The summit in Maputo will consider the rules of procedures for the Peace and Security Council and other related modalities. (SARDC)

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