The Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, has challenged the African Union and Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to focus on conflict early warning and action. He also called for a unified approach in order to eliminate parallel initiatives in tackling conflict in Africa.
Osinbajo spoke today at the opening of a retreat for members of the AU Peace and Security Council and Regional Economic Communities (RECs) focusing on the promotion of peace, security and stability in Africa, holding at the Sheraton Hotel and Towers in Abuja.
“I would like to remind you that attention should be focused on how the PSC and the RECs can enhance effectiveness and efficiency using their comparative advantages and various capacities within the context of subsidiary and complementarity in the areas of early warning and early action, conflict prevention, peacemaking, post-conflict peace building, reconstruction and development, strengthening of democratic practices and governance, as well as in combating terrorism and violent extremism.
“It is when all of these are comprehensively addressed that all the weak linkages and gaps that often pose risk to parallel initiatives and contractions will be eliminated thereby achieving our delineated objectives under the APSA (African Peace and Security Architecture).”
Professor Osinbajo noted that “today, almost on a monthly basis there is a fresh conflict situation, or a relapse of post-conflict situations.
“At the same time terrorism and violent extremism present fresh problems, including large numbers of IDPs and refugees going across the borders of neighbouring countries.” [myad]
