AU, Needs Your Cooperation, Mbeki, Anyaoku tell African Leaders
By Kabir Akintayo
The former South-African President, Thabo Mbeki, has expressed worry over negligence of African leaders towards implementing African Union (AU) policies, to promote democracy and maintain political stability in the region.
Mbeki, who is the guest speaker at the fifth Association of Foreign Relations Professionals of Nigeria (AFRPN) anual conference, on Thursday, in Abuja, speaks on the theme ‘Examining The Nexus Between Foreign Policy Goals and Democratic Governance’.
He said “ The re-emergence of the phenomenon of military coups or military interventions on our Continent has emphasised the importance of the implementation of the preventative policies of the AU, as well as interventions to help ensure the popular legitimacy of the democratic systems we establish in our countries.
“The fact however is that particularly the African Union, but also the majority of the Regional Economic Communities, are not doing enough to ensure that the democratic vision contained in the AU documents is fully realised.
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“I have just tried to highlight what has been called ‘the primacy of the political’ in the solution of the conflicts on our Continent. This means that the process of conflict resolution must include getting to the roots of every conflict with a view to ensuring that such conflict does not recur.” Mbeki said.
In his opening remarks, elder statesman, Chief Emeka Anyaoku, appealed to African leaders to focus on ascertaining with greatest confidence individually and collectively Africa’s role in global affairs.
He condemned the coup that ousted the Niger President, Mohamed Bazoum, from office, saying that, whatever affect Niger Republic affects Nigeria,
He re-assured that, Nigerian government will do everything possible to ensure democracy is restored.
The third Commonwealth Secretary-General further urged for good governance, for peace and stability to be ensured in the individual sovereign states.
“Pursuing national development, including effective collaboration amongst African States. And playing a commensurate role in global affairs by a continent that contains over 40 percent of the world’s crucial resources. Thereby, restoring to the African people, to the black race the dignity and respect which were seriously undermined by the transatlantic slave trade.” Anyaoku said.
