{After the Africa-France Summit in Paris, African Diplomats gathered in Algiers for a three-day meeting on peace and security in Africa. During the first day, especially diplomats stressed the need for Africa to be heard.}
According to the information of Algeria Press Service, Rwanda, Chad and Nigeria brought on the table the idea of establishing a “coherent dialogue “between African Council of UN security group and the Security Council of the African Union (AU) to defend the interests of Africa and allow it to be “master of its destiny.”
The move was announced Sunday in Algeria by the three new African non-permanent members to the Security Council of the UN (Nigeria, Chad and Rwanda)
To this end, Godwin Ogama representing the Nigerian Foreign Minister said that the absence of a coherent dialogue between representatives of the African Group to the Security Council of the UN and their counterparts in the AU Council for Peace and security ” remains a barrier to the process of realizing the aspirations of the African peoples for peace and security in particular.”
Speaking at the high level meeting on peace and security in Africa, Mr. Ogama recalled that the Algiers meeting “will put in place mechanisms to fill this gap and to build bridges between these two institutions.”
He stressed that “it is imperative that we work together to address the various pressures on the African continent in the Security Council of the UN unifying views on issues relating to Africa in particular as regards to the conflict management ” Mr. Ogama noted that this inconsistency has ” weakened the position of Africa” recalling in this regard the appearance of seven former African heads of state before the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
Chadian Foreign Minister Moussa Faki Mahamat , said that” it is more necessary than ever , 50 years after the creation of the AU, to reach a unified agreement on the issues that concern the continent “
He affirmed his country’s readiness to participate in the African Standby Force to serve in the maintenance and promotion of peace. For her part, Mushikiwabo, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Rwanda, deplored the “blocking ” of the dialogue between African countries stressing that Africa should stand up and defend its own interests “through adopting a unified position to cope with the pressures imposed by the great powers in the security Council ”
“Africa today is to be master of its destiny,” she said.
She also stressed that the reform of the United Nations has established itself as imperative. “It is inconceivable that Africa is represented by a limited number of countries that do not have the right of veto in the Security Council, while 70 % of the questions addressed by this UN body focused on Africa.”
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