President Muhammadu Buhari has called on African Union (AU) member countries to strengthen early warning systems to rein in conflicts in the continent.
The president also charged all AU member states to ratify the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agreement.
Nigerian positions and interventions on these issues were conveyed at the weekend by the president during separate meetings at the ongoing 36th AU Summit in Addis Ababa, Ababa.
The summit with the theme, “Acceleration of the African Continent Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Implementation,” was a key opportunity for the Nigerian delegation, led by President Buhari to emphasize that it has fully embraced the spirit of the AfCFTA, having signed, ratified and deposited the instrument at the African Union Commission.
In this light, Buhari, according to a statement yesterday, by his spokesperson, Mallam Garba Shehu, urged all member States, AUC and the Secretariat of AfCFTA to continue supporting the implementation of the AfCFTA Agreement.
He also called on member states that have not yet ratified the Agreement to do so.
At the High-Level side event on “Early Warning Within the Framework of the African Union Peace and Security Council and the Committee of Intelligence and Security Services in Africa (CISSA),’’ hosted by President Teodoro Mbasogo of Equatorial Guinea, President Buhari noted that, “timely information sharing is vital to successful early warning and response processes.”
The president, who was represented by the National Security Adviser (NSA), Major-General Babagana Monguno (Rtd), warned that when member states deny credible early warning signals of impending crisis, they miss opportunities to address conflict situations before they escalate.
The president was represented at the event because he was engaged in another meeting, which considered Reports by African Leaders on specific thematic issues at the Summit.
He, therefore, urged member states to cooperate more with the African Union Commission (AUC), Regional Economic Communities (RECs), Regional Mechanisms (RMs) and other relevant partners.
“We also call on Member States to embrace the Continental Structural Conflict Prevention Framework (CSCPF) and its tools, the Country Structural Vulnerability and Resilience Assessment (CSVRA) and the Country Structural Vulnerability Mitigation Strategies (CSVMS).
‘‘Our continent has contended with various issues of insecurity, including terrorism, violent extremism, and unconstitutional changes of government, among others.
“These issues have been discussed severally at various High-Level meetings, particularly at the May 2022 Extraordinary Session of the Assembly held in Malabo indicating the importance attached to this worrisome trend.
‘‘Nigeria acknowledges the work of the AU, RECs, and RMs in strengthening Continental Early Warning Systems (CEWS), as well as AU security and intelligence organs like CISSA, African Union Mechanism for Police Cooperation (AFRIPOL) and Africa Centre for the Study and Research on Terrorism (ACSRT) for providing timely warnings on emerging threats.
“We reiterate the decision of the 35th Session of the Assembly in February 2022 directing the AUC to establish a monitoring and oversight committee to ensure successful early warning and response systems in Africa, and also call for enhanced horizon scanning briefings.
“In addition, the AUC must develop a holistic approach to peace and security which encompasses the major drivers of conflict on the continent,’’ he said.
Earlier on Saturday, Buhari had joined other African leaders to participate in the opening ceremony of the AU Summit, where President Azali Assoumani of Comoros, officially took over the AU’s rotating presidency.
Meanwhile, Buhari has pledged Nigeria’s continued support to international organisations working in the country’s north-east region, who are providing humanitarian assistance to citizens impacted by long years of insurgency.
A statement issued by presidential spokesperson, Mallam Garba Shehu, stated that the president made the assurance when he met with the Director-General of the International Organization for Migration (IOM), Antonio Vitorino, on Sunday in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on the margins of the 36th AU Summit.
Assuring IOM that the federal government would continue to partner with them to make their work more effective and efficient, Buhari lauded the organisation’s humanitarian activities in the northeast and northwest regions of the country.
He noted that their staff has often braced the difficult terrain to provide assistance to those in need.
The president urged the international community not to neglect those living on the fringes of Lake Chad, who have lost their means of livelihood because of the impact of climate change and the monumental shrinking of Lake Chad from its original state.
Giving a brief on its projects in the country, the IOM DG told the president that his organisation was partnering with the Borno State government on strengthening its humanitarian response capacity, including the reintegration, rehabilitation, and resettlement program of IDPs.
He thanked the federal government of Nigeria for its unflinching support of IOM operations in the country.
Also yesterday, Buhari met with President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud of Somalia, during which they exchanged views on countering the propaganda and threats of terrorist organizations such as Boko Haram and Al-Shabab.
Mohamud underscored Nigeria’s support to Somalia, dating back to the deployment of Nigerian peacekeepers to ensure stability in the restive country.
He said Somalians would not forget the sacrifices of the Nigerian peacekeepers who died in the line of duty and those who were injured while risking their lives to bring peace to his country.
