The African Union (AU) summit opened this Saturday, February 18, in Addis Ababa (Ethiopia). At least 35 presidents from the African continent were present. One of the first topics discussed were security and peace.
The African continent “needs action for peace.” The UN Secretary General, António Guterres, was categorical, referring in particular to the situation in the Sahel and in the east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
“I am deeply concerned about the recent increase in violence by armed groups in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo and the expansion of terrorist groups in the Sahel and elsewhere,” Guterres said.
“Terrorism and insecurity are getting worse and conflicts are increasing,” he said. “We must continue to fight for peace. However, to put it bluntly, the mechanisms for peace are shaky,” said the UN Secretary General.
On the eve of the summit, the situation in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, ravaged by armed groups, was discussed in the presence of the Congolese Head of State, Félix Tshisekedi, and his Rwandan counterpart, Paul Kagame. At the meeting, leaders of the seven-nation East African Community (EAC) called for the “withdrawal of all armed groups” by March 30.
In Ethiopia, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, host of the summit, praised the AU-brokered peace agreement between his government and the rebels in the Tigray region. He silenced the weapons, he assured.
The African Continental Free Trade Area
Another topic of debate is the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), which will bring together 1.4 billion people and become the world’s largest market in terms of population. The summit aims to boost the “acceleration” of the AfCFTA, which aims to promote intra-continental trade and attract investors.
At present, intra-African trade only accounts for 15% of the continent’s total trade.
According to the World Bank, by 2035 the deal would create an additional 18 million jobs and “could help lift up to 50 million people out of extreme poverty.” Their combined GDP is $3.4 trillion, according to the UN. But there are still differences on the continent, especially regarding the timing of the tariff cuts.
Guterres stated that the African Continental Free Trade Area “represents a truly transformative path to generate employment and new sources of prosperity for Africans.” He also announced that the UN would provide $250 million to “support some of the most vulnerable people” in the world, including those facing famine in the drought-stricken Horn of Africa.
debt cancellation
For his part, Azali Assoumani, president of the Comoros, a small archipelago in the Indian Ocean with some 850,000 inhabitants, has taken over from Senegalese leader Macky Sall in the rotating presidency of the AU. “Our organization has just demonstrated to the world its conviction that all countries have the same rights,” declared the 64-year-old head of state, who called for the “total cancellation” of the African debt.
Finally, Mali, Burkina Faso and Guinea, three countries led by military leaders after coups d’état —as a result of which they were suspended from the AU— have sent delegations to Addis Ababa to request the lifting of these suspensions.
On Friday, Moussa Faki Mahamat, chairman of the AU Commission, declared that the AU’s Peace and Security Council would meet on an unspecified date to decide whether to lift the suspensions of the three countries. On Saturday, Faki Mahamat declared that “these sanctions do not seem to be giving the expected results.”
The expulsion of an Israeli diplomat
On the sidelines of the summit there was also an incident: the expulsion of an Israeli diplomat from the assembly of the African Union. The Jewish State denounced this decision, accusing Iran of being behind this “serious” measure with the complicity of Algeria and South Africa, according to the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
In 2022, the AU failed to conclude its discussions on Israel’s controversial accreditation as an observer country. Algeria and South Africa, in particular, had been against it. The AU has not indicated whether the issue will be discussed at this year’s summit.
However, according to a video posted online, security personnel escorted Sharon Bar-li, deputy director general for Africa at the Israeli Foreign Ministry, out of the annual summit.
Ebba Kalondo, spokesman for the AU Commission Chairman, told AFP that “a person had been asked to leave” because they had not been invited to the meeting.
The AU had issued a one-time invitation to Israel’s ambassador to the AU, Aleli Admasu, and this invitation could not be used by anyone else, he explained. “It is unfortunate that the person in question abused this favor,” concluded Ebba Kalondo.
An Israeli diplomatic spokesman described the expulsion as “serious” as Sharon Bar-li had “due accreditation as an observer.” “It is sad to see the African Union being held hostage by a small number of extremist states like Algeria and South Africa, motivated by hatred and controlled by Iran,” she told AFP.
Vincent Magwenya, spokesman for South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, countered that Israel had to “back up their accusations.”
This article was adapted from its original French version.
