(VOVWORLD) - Themed “Silencing the Guns”, the 33rd African Union summit opened in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on Sunday, seeking resolutions for a number of regional disputes and problems.
 Delegates at the 33rd African Union summit (photo: reuters) |
The “Silencing the Guns” summit was inspired by pledges by African leaders to end armed disputes and prevent a re-emergence of genocide.
While accepting the Chairmanship of the African Union for 2020, South African President Ciryl Ramaphosa highlighted the AU’s priorities for 2020 – including enhancing continental unity, boosting sustainable economic development, ensuring political stability and economic development, resolving disputes, and raising Africa’s status internationally. The new AU Chair promised to take actions to end conflicts in Libya, the Sahel, and the Western Sahara, the most politically divided area in Africa.
Analysts say achieving the AU’s goals, particularly to end armed conflicts will be difficult.
To end disputes: an impossible mission?
On the 50th anniversary of the African Union in 2013, African leaders promised to take action to end all wars on the continent by 2020. Over the past 7 years, all-out war has been prevented in Sudan and the Central African Republic. Violence and armed conflicts reoccurred more seriously in Libya, South Sudan, and Mozambique.
At the 2020 summit, observers noted that the AU had failed to keep the promises it made in 2013. No less than 20 armed conflicts are currently taking place in Africa, 3 times as many as 2005. Some of the disputes, notably the one in Libya, involve foreign players, which makes them more difficult to resolve.
Limited human resources is a huge obstacle for Africa in preventing disputes and stabilizing the situation. For many reasons, international assistance has not improved the situation. The facts suggest that ending the disputes in Africa may be impossible in the near future.
Development challenges
In recent decades, Africa has imported most of its production equipment, industrial machines, and vehicles while three-fourths of its exports are natural resources, mostly raw materials.
Major challenges to Africa’s development are backward policies and corruption. UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres told the AU Summit that corruption is depriving the continent of resources that could advance its development.
Analysts say the set targets of the 33rd AU summit are beyond its capability in terms of economics, political reform, and armed conflict prevention.