Pretoria: President Jacob Zuma says without peace and stability, it will be difficult to achieve development and prosperity.
Speaking in Durban at the ACCORD 2015 Africa Peace Award on Saturday, President Zuma said the pursuit of peace is paramount for the realization of Africa’s developmental goals. ACCORD is a South African-based organisation involved in Conflict Resolution, Peacekeeping and Preventive Diplomacy throughout the continent of Africa.
President Zuma said the organisation should be commended for the good work its doing on the continent.
“The Africa Peace Award has since its inception in 1993 honoured the remarkable work of individuals, communities, nations and institutions that have shown an unwavering commitment to peace in our beloved motherland, Africa.
“The ACCORD leadership and staff working in South Africa and its various offices in some parts of our continent is reflective of this dynamic organisation’s pan-African roots. Your work in such areas as conflict resolution, mediation, peace-making, peacekeeping in capacity-building, research, training and advocacy makes ACCORD an important member of Africa’s vibrant civil society,” President Zuma said.
He said the Africa Peace Award is a significant contribution to the continent’s objective of silencing the guns by 2020, in line with Agenda 2063, the continental blueprint for development.
President Zuma said the African Union Commission, in its remarkable work in promoting peace and security, has continued to encourage member states to strengthen the African Peace and Security Architecture (APSA) and its various elements.
“Although we still have areas of conflict and strife on the continent, such as the challenges we continue to face in Somalia, Central African Republic, Mali and the Sahel, Libya and eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, our collective efforts at promoting peace have yielded significant successes as evidenced by the successful recent conclusion of free, fair and credible elections on our continent,” he said.
“Peace in our continent will go a long way towards ensuring that our people continue to contribute to the future of our continent. It means we lessen the chances of our young people perishing in the stormy waters of the Mediterranean Sea as they seek greener pastures elsewhere,” the President said.
SOURCE: SOUTH AFRICAN OFFICAL NEWS