Addis Ababa, Ethiopia — In what appears to be a peep into what his tenure as the Chairperson of African Union will be, the newly elected Chairperson of African Union and President of Malawi Mr. Bingu Wa Mutharika has warned that that the continental body would henceforth declare war on unconstitutional change of government in Africa.

He has also said that time has come for the organization to go beyond making decisions, declarations and resolutions, adding that the need to take action was now and urgent, "so that whatever we decide and declare directly benefits the common African citizen. It is only when we act now that our people will come to appreciate the existence, foundations and future of our organization. Let us act now".

Mutharika, in his closing remark at the end of 14th Assembly of the Heads of State of AU, called on his colleagues in this year of peace and security and beyond, "we must say 'never again' to conflict and war in Africa. We must declare war on unconstitutional change of government on the African soil and resolve to take strong necessary punitive action against all authors of coup d'etats and those that provide them the means to unseat duly elected governments."

The Malawian President who insist, the next five years the issue of food insecurity must be brought to an end in the continent to ensure no child dies of hunger and malnutrition, also stated that unconstitutional change of government threatened peace and security of the continent adding that it also reverses the collective successes of the continent in the democratization process.

The AU Chairperson further stated that the continental body has a responsibility "to protect and preserve the legacy of a free democratic society with full guarantees for human rights, personal liberties and social progress".

He stressed that the AU's efforts to restore political stability shall require the full cooperation of political players in members states that are engulfed in conflict adding that the regional economic communities had more advantages in facilitating contact and dialogue between parties.

Mutharika said that whereas the continental body had noted with satisfaction the positive political developments in Mauritania, Guinea and Guinea Bissau where concrete steps had been taken to restore democracy, the AU still remained confronted by the challenges in Madagascar, Somalia and Darfur as it strives to ensure that peace returns to these troubled spots in the shortest possible time.