Addis Ababa — AU Trade and Industry Commissioner Muchanga has emphasized today the need for Africa to maintain durable peace and security to achieve sustainable development and integration.
Speaking on the commemoration of the African Integration Day, Albert Muchanga noted that among the outstanding issues before us is the question of peace and security.
"One of the outstanding issues before us is the question of peace and security. If you look around Africa today, there are areas of instability. Southern Africa, Central Africa, East Africa, West Africa, North Africa; all our regions are engulfed in conflict and that can undermine integration."
Therefore, he noted that Africa should wake up and "create durable conditions of durable peace and security."
According to him, economic prosperity is an anchor to that. Governance is an anchor to that. Giving opportunities to everybody is an anchor to that; and it's in the spirit that will come the theme which brings us to the present, and the present is that we want to use economic integration to facilitate accelerated, inclusive growth, and sustainable development.
The commissioner pointed out that Africans have not yet achieved much in the free movement of people.
When "we do it, there will be deeper integration of Africa... When we come together as regional economic communities, we have a stronger voice because we are acting in unity," Muchanga stressed.
The commissioner added that "as we look back to what we have done in promoting regional economic integration, we say we've done well, there's a lot of work still to be done. We are on the right path."
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African heads of state and government decided the commemoration of African Integration Day to facilitate the implementation of the agreements of AfCFTA, it was learned.
Muchanga underscored that Africans have had very insightful lessons of experience and "one of the lessons of experience is that regional economic integration is complex, but not impossible."
The African Integration Day commemoration focused on the regional and continental integration agenda, particularly job creation and digital and financial inclusion in the African Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) market.
In connection with this, Labor and Skills Minister, Muferiat Kamil said on her part that strengthening digital sector cooperation among African countries is crucial to create job opportunities.
According to her, Ethiopia has a job creation plan that aligns with the continental agenda and is creating millions of permanent jobs annually.
The country is working on developing skilled workers by especially encouraging youth entrepreneurs to contribute to the sector.
The minister pointed out that Ethiopia has created 3.1 million permanent job opportunities in the past 11 months of the Ethiopian Fiscal Year.
