Konare Advocates African Security Council

Lusaka- Zambia (PANA) -- Malian President Alpha Oumar Konare says the OAU's Central Organ on the Mechanism for the prevention, mediation and resolution of conflicts, should be transformed into a Security Council for the African Union.
This is to help tackle persistent armed conflicts and the proliferation of small arms on the continent.
In his speech Tuesday to the 37th OAU Summit in Lusaka, Zambia, Konare said the proposed body should function like the UN Security Council, with permanent members having veto powers, and non-permanent members.
He said with the African Union becoming a "reality," the continent must cease to be the home of conflicts.
The Malian leader, who is also current chairman of ECOWAS, the Economic Community of West African States, said the African Union "should be light, operational and functional.
" According to Konare, the more powerful countries should obviously be endowed with the higher responsibilities, in the common endeavour that is the African Union.
"We should all recognise that in any common endeavour, there is the engine and the wagons behind.
We must admit that certain countries be at the helm and should be given responsibilities in relation to their power," he added.
Konare also noted that under ongoing democratisation process, Africa should have permanent representatives at the UN Security Council.