Panafrican News Agency

AU to hold mini-Summit on African peace and stability

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (PANA) – The African Union's Peace and Security Council is holding its 11th High Level Retreat on the Promotion of Peace, Security and Stability in Africa, to discuss the strategies to improve mediation in conflicts and silencing of the guns in Africa.

The 11th African Union (AU) High Level Retreat on the Promotion of Peace, Security and Stability in Africa will be held on the theme, “The future of mediation in Africa: Towards silencing the guns - lessons and opportunities from the COVID-19 pandemic virtually,” the AU Panel of the Wise within the Peace and Security Council said on Thursday.

“The retreat aims to review the AU’s existing mediation and conflict prevention instruments, partnerships and practices in order to determine their suitability to effectively prevent and manage conflicts on the continent, within the specific context of COVID-19, and beyond,” the Panel of the Wise said in a statement.

It seeks to offer insights and debate around the various technological and social innovations that have allowed mediation practice on the continent to continue despite the very limited opportunity and capacity for conventional approaches.

The retreat which will be attended by Moussa Faki Mahamat, African Union Commission Chairperson, will bring together dignitaries and peacemakers from the African Union, the Regional Economic Communities and Regional Mechanisms (RECs/RMs), the United Nations system, Members of the AU Panel of the Wise, Members of the AU Network of African Women in Conflict Prevention and Mediation (FemWise-Africa), renowned academics, experts and AU partners.

“The purpose of such a reflection is to discuss and document innovative practices, emerging opportunities, as well as the challenges and lessons learnt for African mediation within the context of the “new normal”, and thus to inform future policy, practice, coordination and partnerships amongst practitioners, facilitators, policymakers and collaborators,” the Panel said.

The AU said the the retreat would discuss the current global and continental context of peace and security.

The continental organisation did not directly mention the ongoing conflict in Ethiopia's Tigray region in its reference to the ongoing continental security challenges.

It said the retreat would engage in constructive self-assessment of international and continental conflict prevention, peace-making and peacebuilding efforts in Africa.

The AU said the retreat would take note of emerging policy and field approaches on peace-making, and the resultant challenges and opportunities in order to devise appropriate strategies for conflict prevention, resolution and management within the COVID-19 context and beyond.

It will also identify concrete opportunities for multidimensional collaboration and harmonization of efforts to resolve conflict in Africa.

-0- PANA AO 10Dec2020