A busy month for Kenya on return to AU council chair
Kenya will chair the African Union Peace and Security Council (AUPSC)—the standing decision-making organ of the continental body for the prevention, management and resolution of conflicts in Africa—over next month.
Last October, it held the UN Security Council presidency.
In its previous stint as the AUPSC chair, last March, Kenya was instrumental in advocating a reinvigorated role of the A3 at the UN Security Council. This is the bloc of non-permanent members representing Africa and the Caribbean.
Kenya emphasised at the UNSC that the unified voice of the A3+1 can keep African members speak with one voice regarding crucial and contentious issues.
The leadership was reflected by a heads of state and government summit, two ministerial meetings and two field missions—albeit in difficult circumstances caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. This is consistent with its role as an anchor state and guarantor of regional peace and security, advocating a conflict-free Africa.
By leveraging on the forum accorded to it by both UNSC and AUPSC, Kenya is able to advance a number of issues that are critical for the continental peace and security architecture.
On securing sustainable peace in Africa, especially on silencing the guns, President Uhuru Kenyatta chaired a historic meeting of the AUPSC Heads of State and Government on March 9 that, among others, reinforced and reiterated the objectives and principles of the constitutive Act of the AU. It was attended by nine heads of state and government, a vice-president and five Foreign Affairs ministers.
The summit addressed the issues of sustainable peace in Africa in the context of climate change and its effects on peace and security, as well as the critical issue of silencing the guns, pursuant to the decision of the 14th Extraordinary Summit of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the AU.
The heads of state and government noted and reiterated the direct connection between climate change and security and called for concerted efforts in addressing the adverse effects of climate change.
Similarly, the summit recalled the principles that underpinned the resolution of the extra-ordinary session, which addressed the matter of “Silencing the Guns in Africa in Africa by 2020”.
It called for a ceasefire in Saharawi, noting that there could never be meaningful continental integration if the guns were not silent. It urged the council not to relent in its quest for a sustainable and just peace in Africa.
Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary Raychelle Omamo chaired a ministerial session on peacekeeping in Africa with regard to emerging challenges and critical lessons for sustainable peacekeeping operations.
She also chaired a ministerial-level open debate on women peace, culture and gender inclusivity, where Kenya drew attention to the critical role played by women in consolidation and sustenance of peace in conflict situations.
Rights of women
AU member states were urged to fully implement UNSC Resolution 1325 and the Maputo Protocol on Rights of Women, as well as other regional action plans that touched on women, peace and security.
Owing to the African Union Executive Council session and the Summit of the African Union taking place from February 2-6, the PSC sessions will begin formally on February 7. As the chair, Kenya will execute the council’s agenda for the month in furtherance of the continental peace and security strategy.
Kenya intends to hold six substantive meetings—two at the committee of experts level and one each at ministerial, permanent representative and heads of state level with two solidarity field missions—to the transition countries of South Sudan and Sudan. The AU is the guarantor in their peace agreements.
Activities will kick off on February 6 with a breakfast event on the sidelines of the AU Heads of State Summit, convened by President Kenyatta as chair of the PSC. The President will use this event to speak to the critical issues impacting peace and security in Africa and share his thoughts and ideas as he concludes his term as Kenya’s Head of State.
A February 16 heads of state and government level event will discuss the situation in Western Sahara and follow up on the Nairobi Declaration on Terrorism and Violent Extremism (2019).
The meeting on Western Sahara will be a follow-up to a previous summit level session chaired by President Kenyatta on March 9 last year. Its objective will be to examine the conditions that have given rise to tension and violence and assess whether the policy measures and strategies adopted at the international, regional and national levels are bringing peace to Saharawi.
Besides, the Nairobi Declaration session will revisit the conclusions of July 10, 2019 African Regional High-Level Conference on Counter-Terrorism and the Prevention of Violent Extremism Conducive to Terrorism, jointly convened by Kenyan and the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism.
Ms Omamo will chair the second signature event meeting on urbanization, women, peace and security in Africa on February 8. This will be an open session, in which all member states of the AU will participate. Selected special guests and relevant UN agencies will also be invited to make statements.
The Foreign Affairs ministers will also discuss the role that sustainable urbanisation and effective cities and local governments can play in preventing escalation of conflicts, rebuilding the social contract and preventing further displacement, extremism and proxy wars.
They will also focus on promoting bottom-up stabilisation efforts to complement higher-level peace processes in conflict situations.
Other issues to be discussed at ambassadorial level include: consideration of the situation in South Sudan, update on the situation in Sudan and receive an update on the status of consultations on the African Union mission to Somalia (Amisom) post-2021.
Last month, the UN unanimously passed Resolution 2614, extending Amisom’s mandate until March 31 2022, ahead of a phased handover of responsibilities to Somalia’s security forces early next year. The extension was to provide a rollover in preparation for a reconfigured AU-led mission in Somalia.
AUPSC will discuss issues pertaining to the size and financing of the reconfigured mission to better deal with the Al-Shabaab and build capacity of reconfigured force to take over the security responsibilities.
As the month comes to an end I, will lead the AUPSC on a weeklong field mission to South Sudan. BY DAILY NATION
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