Improved Partnership of African States Pivotal to Realize AU Reform: African Scholars

Tana April 22/2018 African scholars emphasized the importance of improved partnership and close collaboration within the African states to realize the financial reform of the continent. The 7th Tana Forum that kicked off yesterday discussed on issues of realizing financing the African peace and security provisions. During today’s panel discussion African scholars emphasized that working in accordance and collaboration can realize the issue of financing the AU peace and security by itself. UN Peacekeeping Operation Assistant Secretary-General, Bintou Keita said “African countries need to cooperate and strengthen their partnership to realize the reform.” Member states of the AU should understand that financing all institutions can give the sense of ownership, she added. The Assistant Secretary-General noted that the shared responsibility and common understanding on how to finance peace and security provisions are the critical mechanisms to bring the intended ambition. The ownership of the Union cannot be isolated from other parts of the world; she said and added “thus, every member of the Union should understand the inclusivity of the ownership.” Mentioning that over 35 African countries contribute for the peace and security of the world in fragmented way, Keita said “the countries need to bring this power to one”. Ambassador Dr. Reubel Briedety of George Washington University’s School of International Assistance said understanding the state ownership is the first step to bring African solution for African problems. Ambassador Briedety stated that African countries owning their Union is not shutting the rest of the world, rather leading their partnership in strategic way. Partnership within region to region, country to country should be improved in order to realize the sense of ownership, he added. Over 28 percent of the UN Assembly members are African countries; he said and stressed “bringing this commitment signifies that the Union can own its peace and security provisions.” The 7th Tana High-Level Forum on Security in Africa was held in Bahir Dar city under the theme of: “Ownership of Africa’s Peace and Security Provision: Financing and Reforming the African Union."