Ending conflicts in Libya, South Sudan, and permanently ‘silencing the guns’ in Africa is a top priority for South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, incoming chairman of the African Union.
On Sunday, Ramaphosa officially takes over the chairmanship of the African Union from Egypt’s leader Abdel Fattah el Sisi during the opening of the 33rd Ordinary Session of the Heads of State and Government Summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
This is a momentous occasion for Ramaphosa, who says SA’s biggest priority as chair of the AU is to promote economic integration and work hard towards achieving everlasting peace in the African
continent.
South Africa’s chair-ship of the AU comes at a very challenging time for SA and the rest of the continent – the war in Libya and South Sudan is far from being resolved, and women and children in the
continent continue to go to bed on empty stomachs.
“South Africa’s Chair-ship will coincide with the end of AU’s aspiration of ‘Silencing of the Guns in 2020’, it will be important to take stock of the achievements and challenges,” said Ramaphosa recently.
Libya, a large oil producer, has been engulfed by chaos since 2011 when long-time leader Muammar Gaddafi in an uprising.
Ramaphosa said that fighting in war-torn countries like Libya, South Sudan and eastern DRC undermined peace efforts to achieve everlasting peace in Africa, including economic prosperity.
He said his focus will be to deal with the conflicts in Libya and South Sudan.
“Specific focus will need to be given to two intractable conflicts on the continent – in Libya and South Sudan – where South Africa is already actively involved in seeking solutions,” he said last week in Pretoria.
Ramaphosa has questioned the intervention of certain foreign countries in war-torn African countries, particularly in South Sudan and Libya, where fighting has intensified in the past few days.
Addressing South African Heads of Mission Conference in Pretoria recently, Ramaphosa said foreign intervention must be looked at closely because it seemed to be driven by ‘ulterior motives’.
“In some countries political and civil instability persist. Violent conflict continues to hamper our efforts to achieve continental peace development. As a result, certain events on the continent have attracted world attention,” said Ramaphosa.
“I am convinced that some of these occurrences need the intervention of those who are able to assist African countries to find solutions. But in some cases these interventions seem to be driven by ulterior motives. This seems to be case at least with Libya and South Sudan.”
Russia and Turkey have formed an alliance to exploit insolvency of the West in the Libyan crisis to pose as sponsors of a future political solution in the North African country, a report by French newspaper Le Monde said on Monday.
On the economic front, Ramaphosa said South Africa’s agenda as Chair of the AU would also be to deepen economic integration across the continent through the AfCFTA.
“This is a historic moment that we must seize,” said Ramaphosa.
“Together with our fellow African countries, we must implement the AfCFTA agreement with purpose and determination. We must undertake the detailed work, extensive consultation and complex negotiations required to give life to this agreement.”
The Summit will be held under the theme for 2020 “Silencing the Guns: Creating Conducive Conditions for Africa’s Development”.
Ramaphosa will be accompanied by his Cabinet ministers, including Dr Naledi Pandor, the Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, the Minister of Defence and Military Veterans, Ayanda Dlodlo, the Minister of State and Security, Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams, the Minister of Communications, Telecommunications and Postal Services, Mr
Jackson Mthembu, the Minister in the Presidency and Mr Senzo Mchunu, the Minister of Public Services and Administration.
