Congolese president urges African Union to prioritize the resolution of the Libyan crisis
Brazzaville, Congo (PANA) - Congolese President Denis Sassou Nguesso, who is also chairman of the African Union (AU) High Level Committee on the Crisis in Libya, proposed to the continental organization on Tuesday in Brazzaville, to elevate in 2020 "the resolution of the Libyan tragedy as high priority."
He made the proposal during the presentation of his New Year greetings to the diplomatic community in the Republic of Congo.
President Nguesso's suggestion addressed the theme of the upcoming AU Heads of State Summit: "Shut up arms on the continent in 2020".
"Libya is an African country and the victims of the Libyan conflict are mainly in Africa", the Congolese head of state said, believing that any strategy to resolve the Libyan crisis aimed at marginalising Africa could prove ineffective and counterproductive.
He also referred to last year's terrorist attacks in the Sahel region, which he said were due to the dismantling of the Libyan state.
"These tragedies call on Africa and its peace-loving partners on a daily basis. They reinforce the need to constantly and relentlessly fight terrorism, fundamentalism and extremism in all its forms," he said.
In addition, as the current President of the International Conference of the Great Lakes Region (CIRGL), he welcomed the progress made in peace and security in this part of the continent.
"In areas once marked by the proliferation of militias and the recurrence of repeated armed violence, significant progress has been made, although there is currently a deplorable survival of some residual pockets of tension", said President Nguesso citing the case of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Nguesso also reiterated his call to the international community to support the efforts of the Congo Basin member countries to protect and preserve forest ecosystems in the world's second green lung after the Amazon, to combat the harmful effects of climate change.
As part of the integration in Africa, he stressed the need for regional development to build roads, ports, industries, airports, agriculture and mining infrastructure, citing the Central African rail bridge between Brazzaville and Kinshasa, which he said will see "significant progress" this year.
-0- PANA MB/JSG/BBA/AR 7Jan2020
