African Union Concerned About Spate of Coups and Conflicts

The African Union (AU) has expressed concerns over the spate of conflicts and illegitimate takeover of power across the continent.

AU Commission’s Director of Political Affairs, Peace and Security, Sarjoh Bah, described the situation as “unfortunate.”

Speaking at a continental security meeting at the AU headquarters in Ethiopia’s capital Addis Ababa, Bah expressed worry that Africa might continue to suffer repercussions of the fallout of conflicts spreading from other continents.

“Despite increased national and international measures to counter terrorism and violent extremism in the Horn of Africa, the Great Lakes regions, and Mozambique, among other places, challenges persist,” Bah lamented.

The Horn of Africa, the Sahel and the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo are some of the conflict hotspots in Africa and many people have lost their lives in those conflicts.

Admitting that “the current global landscape is fraught with geopolitical tensions, major power rivalries, and a fragmented international order,” he stressed that leaders must respond to these threats by learning from their previous experiences and accordingly design effective security architectures with conflict anticipation capabilities.

According to the Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law, Africa has at least 35 ongoing armed conflicts today.