Addis Ababa – African Union (AU) Commissioner for Political, Peace and Security Affairs Nigerian Bankole Adeoye has praised the role of Angolan diplomacy in peace and stability in the Great Lakes Region.
The AU official praised the vision of the president João Lourenço in drawing the continent’s attention to reflect and fight terrorism and unconstitutional changes of government in Africa.
These are two extraordinary threats to the achievement of the AU’s Agenda 2063 objectives, especially with regard to the silencing of weapons and the process of economic development of the continent.
The recognition was expressed during a meeting with the Angolan ambassador to Ethiopia, in Djibouti and Permanent Representative to the African Union and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, Francisco José da Cruz.
The two interlocutors met on Tuesday at the headquarters of the continental organisation and during which analysed the issues related to the agenda of the AU Champion for Peace and Reconciliation, President João Lourenço.
As Champion for Peace and Reconciliation in Africa, the Angola President is responsible for spearheading the mobilisation of political support and cooperation from Member States and galvanising international support so that greater priority is given to the prevention, management and resolution to the conflicts on the continent.
At the meeting, both diplomats outlined some important activities within the scope of the Champion’s agenda, with emphasis on the launch, on January 31, 2023, of the “Day of Peace and Reconciliation in Africa”, to be celebrated every year.
The President of the Republic of Angola, João Lourenço, was appointed “Champion for Peace and Reconciliation in Africa” at the 16th Extraordinary Session of the AU Assembly of Heads of State and Government on Terrorism and Unconstitutional Changes of Government in Africa, held in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, on 28 May of the current year.
The choice of the Angolan Head of State was based on his engagement in the search for increasingly participatory and inclusive forms of governance that contribute to the dissemination of a national culture of peace, as well as pacification on the continent, especially within the scope of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR).
At the next AU Assembly of Heads of State and Government in February 2023, the Angolan statesman is expected to present his first report as Champion for Peace and Reconciliation in Africa to update his peers on his achievements as well as share the their challenges for consideration and recommendations.
Source: Angola Press News Agency