African Union Commission Chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat said that the issue of peace and security has continued to be a source of great concern in the continent.
Speaking at the opening of 29th AU Summit, the Chairperson said that the existence of civil war in regions is increasing insecurity and destabilization.
“All these factors induce us to strive for unity and save the continent’s achievement in order to advance the objective that has been laid down in agenda 2063”, the Chairperson said.
The situation in South Sudan, Somalia, Libya, CAR, and tensions between Eritrea and Djibouti, and the difficulty in implementing the peace agreement in Mali are among the mentioned to be source of concern.
Deputy Secretary General of the United Nations, Amina Mohammed for her part said UN will continue to support the AU initiative to silence the guns by 2020, including by strengthening support for African peace and security architecture.
This is an opportunity not just to provide alternatives to silencing the guns but also to keep human and natural assets on the continent, she noted.
She also commended African leaders for their commitment to self-reliance as reflected in their decision to fund 25 percent of the AU’s peace and support operations by 2020.
She said “we also welcome the establishment of AU peace fund, which will go beyond peacekeeping to support preventive diplomacy and institution-building.”
The UN has continued its efforts to enhance its partnership with Africa’s regional economic communities, on peacekeeping efforts on the continent as well as in supporting peaceful elections and democratic transition, she added.
During their two-day deliberations, African leaders are expected to deliberate on issues including peace and security, migration, youth employment.