AU Committed to Ending All Conflicts in Africa, says Bankole Adeoye

Bankole Adeoye, African Union (AU) commissioner for political affairs, peace, and security, says the multilateral peace and security council (PSC) is committed to ensuring it fulfils its mandate.

The PSC is the standing decision-making organ of the AU for the prevention, management, and resolution of conflicts. It is a collective security and early warning arrangement intended to facilitate timely and efficient responses to conflict and crisis situations in Africa.

Speaking during a press conference on Sunday, on the sidelines of the AU summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Adeoye noted the PSC’s concerns about ongoing conflicts across the continent.

In Sudan, the commissioner said the AU is hopeful of permanent peace in the future. He noted that the AU is looking at measures to achieve the roadmap.

“The African Union is considering a number of scenarios that will be critical to any peace agreement that is reached,” Adeoye said.

He did not give details on what these scenarios would be, but added that the AU would continue to focus on “peaceful resolution of conflicts”.

SHETTIMA TALKS TOUGH ON SOUTH SUDAN

Earlier, a committee of countries, including Nigeria, South Africa, Algeria, Chad, and Rwanda, met to discuss the implementation of the 2018 revitalised agreement on the resolution of the conflict in South Sudan.

South Sudan’s conflict stems from a 2013-2018 civil war triggered by President Salva Kiir’s accusing former Vice-President Riek Machar of a coup.

Last year, Sudanese authorities arrested Machar and placed him under house arrest, where he has since remained.

Implementations of the peace agreement have been fragile amid ethnic violence and delayed elections.

Vice-President Kashim Shettima represented Nigeria at the closed-door meeting.

Officials present at the discussions told TheCable that Shettima criticised the AU for allowing a delayed implementation of the peace deal.

Shettima was also said to have demanded Machar’s release, noting that his detention goes against the democratic norms that the AU upholds.

‘THE AFRICA WE WANT’

In his address, Adeoye noted that an objective of the AU is to see “a continent that is at peace with itself and at peace with the world”.

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“This is the Africa we want,” he said.

The commissioner also reaffirmed AU’s zero tolerance for unconstitutional changes of governments and coups and attempted coups, referencing the political instability witnessed in recent times in the Sahel.

He, however, added that leaders urged the union to support the political transition in states under junta rule.