Meeting in Addis Ababa on Libya, Sahel region on sidelines of 33rd AU summit
Tripoli, Libya (PANA) - The Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, is Saturday hosting a summit on Libya and the Sahel region organized by the African Union Peace and Security Commission on the eve of the opening of the 33rd AU session dominated this year by the security solutions and conflicts on the continent.
The 15 heads of state members of the Commission for Peace and Security, president of the Libyan presidential council, Fayez al-Sarraj, UN Secretary-General and the Chairman of the African Union High Level Committee on Libya are attending the summit.
Other participants include Congolese President Denis Sassou-Nguesso, presidents of Burkina Faso, the G5 Sahel, South Africa and Niger, and the current president of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
This meeting, which reflects the continental organization's desire to lead the fight to resolve conflicts and insecurity in Africa, is embodied in the theme chosen this year 2020 for the Summit - "Silence Arms: Creating Conditions for Africa's Development".
The situation in Libya began to deteriorate from 2011 in the wake of the 17 February revolution that toppled Muammar Gaddafi's regime, and spilled over into the African continent, especially in the Sahel region where the jihadist movement is booming .
The proliferation of weapons in Libya after the collapse of the Libyan state without security and military bodies, after the disappearance of state structures and institutions, has had an impact on neighbouring countries and particularly those in the south favoured by the porous extensive borders of this North African country.
The scale of foreign interference has perpetuated insecurity and conflict in Libya, giving an international dimension to the political and security crisis in that country.
Africa's marginalization because of the interests of major regional and international powers for this oil-rich country has long kept the AU away from Libya.
This situation has begun to change with the awareness by AU member-countries of the need to become more involved in the Libyan issue, given the impact on their security.
This commitment led Africa to attend the Berlin International Conference on Libya, with an invitation to Congolese President Denis Sassou-Nguesso, Chairman of the African Union High Level Committee on Libya.
For example, in Berlin, Africa has not been forgotten in the division of tasks of efforts to resolve the Libyan crisis, with a task of organizing a national reconciliation conference in Libya.
The idea of greater coordination between African countries on Libya's issue to speak with one voice in order to weigh and avoid any opportunity to be marginalized has prevailed among many leaders of the continent.
At the 8th meeting of the High Level Committee on Libya Summit in Brazzaville, Algeria was designated to host this inclusive meeting, aimed at achieving reconciliation among Libyans, by promoting a Libyan approach without external interference.
Saturday's summit will look at how to enforce the fragile truce proclaimed in Libya on 12 January and on the follow-up of the recommendations of both the Brazzaville and Berlin meetings.
Participants will work to formulate proposals for the 33rd Summit scheduled for Sunday and Monday, including the issue of sending African interposition troops to monitor ceasefire compliance.
A 5+5 Libyan Joint Military Committee on Thursday completed a first round of meetings in Geneva under the auspices of the United Nations, described as positive, because of the progress made on the road to turning the truce into a permanent ceasefire.
In the Sahel region where deadly jihadist attacks have increased, analysts believe the leaders of the Peace and Security Council will work to further coordinate among Sahel countries, acting on cutting the sources of supply of weapons to terrorists.
These same analysts believe that the significant losses suffered by Sahel countries, such as Burkina Faso, Niger, Mali and Chad, are due to the lack of experience in the fight against terrorism.
According to them, this situation was experienced by Tunisia, which suffered at the beginning of the attacks of terrorist groups before the experience gained through multiple confrontations enabled the country to adjust its control strategy to fight terrorist groups.
The acquisition of the state-of-the-art equipment adapted to a guerrilla war and intelligence support from France and the United States will complement the superiority of the regular troops of these countries and make a difference in a few years against the extremist jihadists.
-0- PANA BY/JSG/BBA/RA 8Feb2020
