“There is an urgent need to silence the guns and prioritize the peaceful settlement of disputes in Africa,” Mr. Sall said in his closing remarks at the 4th biannual coordination meeting of the AU, Regional Economic Communities (RECs) and Regional Mechanisms (RMs) held in the Zambian capital Lusaka.
Emphasizing the need to relentlessly pursue the fight against terrorism and refuse the seizure of power by force, the Head of State noted that African governments are called upon to invest more in social inclusion policies. and human capital development.
Regarding the Interregional Knowledge Exchange Platform on Early Warning and Conflict Prevention (I-RECKE), Mr. Sall stressed that this is an important initiative that will need to be maintained by an operational mechanism. so that it can contribute effectively to efforts to pacify the continent.
Furthermore, the AU Chairman-in-Office considered that continental integration remains a great challenge for Africa, noting that “all the paradigms on the international scene show more acutely how much African countries must to act more strongly through concrete actions” to make this project a success.
“The entry into force of the African Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) at the beginning of 2022 is a step in the right direction, but legal texts alone will not be enough,” he said.
He also noted that the evaluation of the implementation of Agenda 2063, launched almost ten years ago, shows that we must redouble our efforts in the construction of infrastructure and the facilitation of trade and development. inter-African investment, because the path to integration goes through inter-state and inter-regional connectivity.
The opening ceremony of this 4th biannual coordination meeting of the African Union was marked by the presence in particular of the Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema, the President of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Félix Tshisekedi, the former President of Niger, Mahamadou Issoufou, the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, and the President of the AU Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat.
On the program of this meeting, which was held the day after the 41st ordinary session of the AU Executive Council (July 14-15), is notably the examination of the interim report on the covid-19 pandemic in Africa. , the updated report on the implementation of the AfCFTA, the report on the state of regional integration in Africa and the report on the division of labor between the AU, RECs, RMs and member states.
African leaders also discussed the report which traces the successful experience of inter-REC cooperation which led to the Tripartite Free Trade Agreement between the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), the Community Africa (EAC) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC).
A high-level reflection on the first ten-year plan for the implementation of the AU Agenda 2063 and the development of the second ten-year plan of the agenda was also on the agenda of this meeting.