On Saturday, the first African Union (AU) summit in two years began with a call for the continental group to be given a permanent place on the United Nations Security Council.
The African Union (AU), which was founded 20 years ago to promote closer collaboration throughout the continent, is convening for two days in Ethiopia’s capital, Addis Ababa, to review recent coups and attempted power grabs.
The coronavirus epidemic, Islamist militancy, climate change, and continuing conflicts, such as the one in Ethiopia’s Tigray area, are also being discussed.
In his opening comments, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed urged for the African Union to be granted a stronger role at the United Nations’ international peacekeeping agency. The meeting will be hosted by Abiy, who earned the Nobel Peace Prize in 2019 before intensifying a military war with Tigray rebels in 2020.
“Today, more than seven decades after the establishment of the United Nations, Africa remains a junior partner with no real input or function inside the system of world governance,” Abiy said at the start of the pandemic-delayed meetings.
The United States, Russia, China, the United Kingdom, and France all have permanent seats on the Security Council, which allows them to veto any proposed resolution.
The United Nations renews its call for a cease-fire in Tigray.
Most countries in attendance were also concerned about Ethiopia’s confrontation between Tigray rebels and Abiy’s military. The battle, which started in November 2020, has gained international attention, caused a severe humanitarian crisis, and jeopardized regional security.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres repeated his call for a cease-fire in Ethiopia in a video speech. He also urged the warring parties to give humanitarian assistance access.
Another significant source of worry was an epidemic of coups in African countries such as Burkina Faso, Chad, Sudan, and Guinea. This week, a coup attempt in Guinea Bissau was unsuccessful.
The tendency has been dubbed a “disaster” by AU Chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat.
Following military takeovers in Burkina Faso and Sudan, the bloc has suspended their membership.
According to the AU chair, the security situation necessitates “more active inter-African solidarity.”
The Palestinian representative is opposed to Israel’s accreditation.
Tensions between Israel and Palestine also erupted during the conference, with Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh requesting that the AU revoke Israel’s accreditation.
The AU Commission chair granted Israel’s observer status accreditation last year, which split member states.
Shtayyeh used the occasion to urge the body to reverse last year’s decision. “Israel should never be rewarded for its violations and for imposing an apartheid system on the Palestinian people,” he stated.
Faki supported the decision, claiming that Israel’s accreditation might be used as a “tool in the service of peace.”
