By Daniel Chigundu
African Union (AU) Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security (PAPS), Ambassador Bankole Adeoye has told Pan-Africa Parliament that coups on the continent will not be tolerated or left unattended.
Adeoye’s statement comes at a time when several African countries have experienced coups in the past years, while others are currently involved in ethnic and armed conflicts.
In November 2017, the military in Zimbabwe helped the ruling party Zanu PF to forcibly remove founding leader Robert Mugabe from power.
The African Union as the continental body in Africa had little to non-involvement in the matter.
However, addressing the Pan-African Parliament (PAP) Permanent Committee on Cooperation, International Relations, and Conflicts Resolution, Ambassador Adeoye said the AU will this time not sit back and watch.
“Democracy is our way to prosperity. It may not be the best form (of government transitions) but so far we have no other means to changing power or changing government,” he said.
Commissioner Adeoye added that “We need this committee to be more effective in the areas of international cooperation, relations, and conflicts resolution.
‘’We are overwhelmed by the threats and unfolding repercussions, and rabble effects in our various countries over challenges that seem to be endless. We need cost efforts. This is the committee that should be fully deployed to areas of conflict,” he said.
He indicated that the suspension of four member States (Burkina Faso, Mali, Guinea, and Sudan) from the AU was a strong illustration that the AU is unequivocal about preserving peace, security, and stability while ensuring adherence to the constitutional order in each AU member state.
AU has been having a torrid time in its efforts to silence guns in all the regions for the past two decades.
In East Africa, the Central Africa Republic, Cameroon, and the Eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo are in rebellion attacks.
The situation in North Africa is said to be still dire, in Libya and Tunisia. However, according to AU, there has been a bit of success in East Africa where the Ethiopian conflict in the Tigray region seems to have been resolved as guns have remained silent from 02 November 2022, due to the AU mediation through the former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo.–
