• Outgoing chair calls for more push to attain Agenda 2063
BY EPHREM ANDARAGCHEW
ADDIS ABABA-The incoming African Union (AU) Chairperson and Senegalese President Macky Sall said the continent is open to forge a mutually-beneficial partnership that respects its development ambition and choice of the people with the rest of the globe.
Noting Africa will not allow others to benefit at the expense of its people, the new Chairperson vividly attested that ensuring the development and economic prosperity of Africa are his priorities in the new capacity.
Having elected as a new AU Chairperson for the year 2022, replacing Congo’s Felix Tshisekedi, Sall noted that he will also focus on the reformation of the international economic and finical regime, alleviating poor financing system and addressing incompetency of investments. Building partnerships to modernize Africa’s financial system is also a key area to be advocated.
As to him, Africa needs the real practice of multilateralism which ensures the transparency and accountability of the world political and economic systems.
Noting COVID-19 has extremely affected Africa’s economy, President Sall highlighted that extensive efforts will be made to secure 252 billion USD till 2025 to revive the economy that was hit by the pandemic. “Africa will, the Chain-Africa, Turkey-Africa, Africa with EU, Japan, Russia, the Arab world, and the USA, strengthen and renew the ever-existing relations in a win-win situation for the development of the continent.”
Besides, continental energy transformation activities will also be given due attention since promoting the use of natural gas and renewable energy resources are key to ensuring continental economic prosperity and social development. Making stronger and better articulating regional economic communities, developing regional peace and stability mechanisms, and consolidating African Standby Forces is key to giving real-time responses to the problems that occur in the continent.
More immortally, efforts will be made, this year, to defend the interest of continental building blocks such as peace, freedom, more unity, interdependence, solidarity, and marching into the prosperity of Africa, he elaborated.
Meanwhile, the outgoing AU Chair and Congolese President Felix Shisekedi said for his part that Africa must condemn any unconstitutional change in government which has become a huge challenge to the agenda of silencing the gun. Much work has been done to make Agenda 2063 a success in the one year, especially, to fight COVID-19, for the renaissance of Pan-African culture, women’s participation and equality, peace and security, a free trade zone in Africa, climate change, and so on.
Shisekedi emphasized that efforts that have been made to prevent external interference by member states in 2021 needed to be consolidated in this year.
“South Africa’s acquisition of the COVID-19 vaccine is a great move to Africa to strengthen the health system of the continent. Furthermore, the African Center for disses control (CDC) and the African Medical Agency have made noteworthy contribution in making this a reality.
“Last year was a cultural year for Africa. Hence this has created a great opportunity for the continent, in particular, to exploit its potential in the field of literature.”
He expressed optimism that AU’s efforts to hold trilateral talks among Ethiopia, Sudan and Egypt on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) will continue this year in a win-win manner.
The conference in Kinshasa last year, in particular on gender equality, was constructive and needs to be replicated and strengthened this year. Also, Africa needs to focus on economic development, peace and security as well as science and technology in order to achieve the 2063 agenda, Shisekedi remarked.
The February 6/2022
