UN Official Calls for Strengthening Partnership Between UN and African Union
New York, Oct 6 (KUNA) -- A senior UN official called on Tuesday for strengthening the partnership between the United Nations and the African Union to address the growing and complex challenges facing the continent, with greater emphasis on prevention, mediation, and swift, accountable action. This came during a briefing delivered by the UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General to the African Union, Parfait Onanga-Anyanga, via video link, at a session held by the UN Security Council on cooperation between the UN and regional organizations and the role of the African Union in this context.
Onanga-Anyanga stated that the latest report by the Secretary-General on the partnership between the two organizations records significant achievements, while simultaneously highlighting an increasingly interconnected and complex landscape in the fields of peace and security. He clarified that several African countries are witnessing an escalation in the intensity and geographic spread of violence, along with rising civilian casualties, while the fragility of state institutions and governance remains among the most prominent challenges facing the continent.
He added that terrorism, violent extremism, organized crime, unfair management of natural resources, and the increasing use of unmanned aerial systems in warfare are placing further pressure on the countries of the continent. The UN official highlighted the situations in the Horn of Africa, the Great Lakes region, and the Sahel as among the most pressing challenges, noting that the Horn of Africa remains one of the most fragile security environments on the continent due to conflicts fueled by deep-rooted grievances, identity exploitation, and external influences.
He pointed out that while peace initiatives continue in the Great Lakes region, weak implementation, ongoing fighting, and regional tensions are undermining the prospects for a sustainable settlement. Meanwhile, in the Sahel, interlinked political, security, and humanitarian crises persist.
Onanga-Anyanga stressed the need to increase investment in prevention and mediation, and to provide sustainable, predictable support for African-led peace support operations, including the effective implementation of Security Council Resolution 2719, alongside maintaining continuous coordination between the UN and the African Union. He said, "The benchmark of our partnership is not the strength of our frameworks, but the difference we make in the lives of people facing conflict and insecurity."
For his part, African Union Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security, Bankole Adeoye, emphasized the importance of translating the partnership between the two organizations into tangible results that reflect positively on the lives of those affected by conflicts. Adeoye referred to the declaration signed by African Union Commission Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf and UN Secretary-General António Guterres during the 10th Annual Conference between the African Union and the United Nations, held in Addis Ababa last May.
Regarding Sudan, Adeoye affirmed that there is no military solution to the crisis, noting that the African Union is leading the efforts of the Quintet in cooperation with the United Nations, the Arab League, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), and the European Union. He highlighted the African Union’s commitment to "a strong United Nations and an international system based on the UN Charter and collective security," stressing that the partnership gains credibility when commitment is mutual and results are tangible. (End) A.S.T. / R.J.
