African leaders end day-long Summit amid silence on Russia-Ukraine war
Nairobi, Kenya (PANA) – African leaders rose from a one-day mid-year Summit in the Kenyan capital Nairobi, which was ,dedicated to the search for solutions to urgent crises facing Africa, but with a lukewarm response to the Russia-Ukraine conflict, which was a top Summit agenda.
The Summit was due to receive a report from its Chairperson, the Comoran President Azali Assoumani, following his recent peace mission in Russia and Ukraine.
While the outbreak of the conflict in Russia and Ukraine served as a reminder to the leaders on just how all states remained vulnerable to political upheavals, close to no leader made mention of the conflict in their public statements during the fifth mid-year coordination Summit.
The Chairperson’s report was expected to be up for debate during a closed session.
In her remarks, the UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed, said the world was facing unprecedented crises, the COVID-19, the climate emergency and the effects of the war in Ukraine, without making any direct reference to Russia.
The African leaders expressed concern about the growing terrorism threats.
In his opening speech at the Summit, the AU Chairperson regretted that at a time when the world was in the throes of technological change, Africa was still plagued by the scourges of division and bloody conflict: conflicts that throw whole sections of our societies into destitution and desolation.
"I would like, in this context, to express here our total solidarity with the brother countries, which today are going through these crisis situations, and at the same time renew our call to silence the guns, for a frank and sincere dialogue, between the different protagonists,” the Comoran leader said.
He said it was through dialogue that Africa could manage to transcend the divisions and remove the obstacles that hindered progress towards the "integrated, prosperous and peaceful Africa”.
Since the February Summit in Addis Ababa, the Chairperson said he had initiated cconsultations with the President of the African Union Commission Moussa Faki to enable him initiate contacts with the main actors of the crisis in Sudan, for a peaceful exit from the crisis.
The AU Chair also initiated contact with Mali and Burkina Faso to inquire about the progress of the transition process.
The Quadripartite meeting held last month in Angola, on the crisis in eastern DRC, under the aegis of the African Union was part of desire to contribute to resolve the conflict, which has already lasted more than two decades.
In this globalised world, in fact, no country, however large and powerful, can claim to be protected against war or its consequences, said the AU Chairperson.
-0- PANA AO/MA 16July2023
