ADDIS ABABA, Acting Nigerian President Yemi Osinbajo has called for the full implementation of the African Peace and Security Architecture (APSA), especially the African Standby Force (ASF) and the Peace Fund.

He made the call in his capacity as chairperson of the African Union (AU) Peace and Security Council (PSC) for the month of July, while reporting on the council’s activities and the state of peace and security in Africa at the ongoing 29th AU Summit of Heads of State and Government here Monday.

He reiterated the need for the PSC to work towards removing all distractions and impediments to the full attainment of operational capacity of the AFS.

To ensure the effectiveness of the African Union peace support operations, the Regional Economic Communities (RECs) and relevant international bodies, especially the United Nations, must remain strategic pillars of peace, security and development of the continent as envisioned in (the AU’s development initiative) Agenda 2063.

We must redouble our efforts and without equivocation, avail the necessary resources in order to successfully achieve the goals set out in Agenda 2063. We need to rekindle our political will and determination not to bequeath to the next generation of Africans the burden of wars, poverty and misery, added Osinbajo.

He said it was therefore necessary for the Assembly of Heads of State and Government to re-affirm the overriding importance of holistically addressing the root causes of violent conflicts in African countries as it was only through such collective efforts that the noble goal of silencing the guns in Africa could be achieved.

He added that it was also essential that international communities, including the UN, continued to reinforce their support for Africa’s peace and security agenda such as the complementarity between Agenda 2063 and the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Source: NAM NEWS NETWORK