AU Commission chief Mahmoud Ali Youssouf and UN Secretary General António Guterres warned that foreign interference is worsening conflicts across Africa….reports Africa Newsdesk
African Union Commission Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf and United Nations Secretary General António Guterreshave warned that external interference is fuelling conflicts and worsening security crises across Africa.
The two leaders made the remarks during a joint press conference at the African Union headquarters in Addis Ababa on Wednesday after signing a new declaration aimed at strengthening cooperation between the AU and the United Nations.
Youssouf said many of the continent’s security crises were being driven by outside actors supplying financial support, weapons and fighters to conflicts across Africa.
“Most of the security crises on the continent are fueled from abroad. Financial resources, ammunition, sometimes even fighters come to fight another war from other continents,” he said.
According to Youssouf, foreign involvement has also disrupted mediation and peace efforts in several conflict zones, creating additional challenges for the AU and the UN in addressing crises in the Sahel, Sudan, the Horn of Africa and eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo.
He said the growing instability was forcing the AU, the UN and international partners to intensify efforts to contain conflicts across the continent.
“The AU must lead any peace negotiations on the continent, based on the principle of African solutions to African conflicts,” Youssouf added.
Guterres also condemned foreign involvement in African conflicts, saying it was unacceptable for outside countries to provide military and political support in pursuit of strategic or economic interests.
“It is absolutely intolerable that countries that are external to Africa interfere in African conflicts, providing weapons and political support to serve their strategic or economic interests,” he said.
The UN chief said stronger diplomatic coordination was needed to stop such interference and create conditions for political agreements capable of ending the conflicts.
Guterres also raised concerns over the growing use of drones in African conflicts, warning that civilians were increasingly becoming targets.
“We also raise our voices, denouncing those countries that are providing drones that are not manufactured in Africa, as they are causing terrible sacrifice for the African people,” he said.
The comments came as the AU and the UN renewed their commitment to closer cooperation on peacekeeping, conflict resolution and regional stability across the continent.
