Africa Needs to Reinforce Initiative to Silence the Guns by 2020, Say Participants of AU Meeting

ENA, February 10/2020 Africa needs to reinforce its initiative of silencing the guns as conflict is still the biggest impediment to a prosperous continent, participants of the 33rd Ordinary Session of the African Union said.

In an exclusive interview with ENA, the participants said security situations improvement in  various  parts of Africa is lagging behind, and does not go in accordance with the vision of AU to silence the guns by 2020.

International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) Delegation Head, Bruce Mokaya Orina said a number of African countries still remain trapped in vicious cycle of  conflicts and its deadly consequences.

“Unfortunately, when we look at the last few years, the number of conflicts has increased and resulted in so many Africans displacements and loss of lives," he noted.

Appreciating the ongoing AU summit held under the theme of "Silencing the Guns: Creating Conducive Conditions for Africa's Development", the head said it is important to address the issue of conflict and give a swift response in the continent.

"I think the theme of the year is relevant in view of the increasing armed conflicts in the continent to renew the commitment of collective effort and to ensure the root cause of why we have seen an increased conflicts," he stated.

He noted that "this is the right time for this continent to address this issue."

According to him, over the past decades, Africa has experienced significant change and positive transition. However, violent conflict continues to compromise prospects for sustained human development and economic progress. 

“I think one of the important issue is really to address the issue of conflict and put together more collective leaderships on it in the continent," the head  emphasized.

In this regard, African Union, the supreme governing body should assist the member states to address security challenges.

“I think what the AU can do is to support the member states to strengthen the commitment  and  obligation of the member states to make contrition by addressing this important security issues at country level. Because at the end, most of this issue needs to be address at the country level,” Orina stressed.   

On his part Muana Brima Massaquol, Deputy Defense Minister of Sierra Leone said poor governance and bad leadership are the major sources of instability and conflict in Africa.

“We have the root causes of conflict which is in so many places political marginalization, segregation, the disparity of the poor and the rich and the sharing of natural resources,” he pointed out.

The deputy minister underlined that it is pretty urgent to build a robust culture of conflict prevention and political commitment as well as willingness from African leaders.

“Prevailing peace and security is really pretty urgent to Africa, and that is what we expect from our political leaders within the AU, the continental leading body, and other authorities within  across the continent,” he underscored.

The African Union (AU) adopted silencing the guns vision in May 2013 and the goal of ending all wars in Africa by this year, 2020.