African nations have been struggling with a number of challenges that need very quick solutions. The continent has been facing a hard time in ensuring peace and security matters. In every direction of the continent, internal conflicts and coups have turned the tables on the continent. There are a lot of textbook examples of unrest that are causing a dire humanitarian crisis. Unable to resolve those conflicts and disruptions, the African nations are exposed to unprecedented challenges.
On top of that, the continent is wallowing under the quagmire of human-impacting challenges such as the increasing rate of unemployment, migration, and the inability to address education. As two-thirds of its population is youth, the African continent has many responsibilities to achieve in order to bring a better life to its young citizens and meet the 2063 objective of realizing the Africa we want. Ensuring the peace and security threats of the continent and creating a more favorable platform for education could be the major steps taken to fight back those problems.
Lately, the African Union has held its 44th Ordinary Session of the Executive Council and its 37th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the African Union from February 14-18, 2024 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. During the five-day event, the above-mentioned problems were the key matters that leaders reflected their concerns on. The here-and-there emergence of conflicts and the inability to ensure the peace and tranquility of the continent were some of the major issues entertained by the leaders who delivered a speech.
Mousa Faki Mahamat, the African Union Commission (AUC) Chairperson, remarked that Africa is experiencing the worst conditions including political instability and poverty.
"African nationalism is dangerous unless guided by Pan-Africanism. Africans should look into their own institutional shortcomings. Institutional reform is the first means to address the challenge in institutional development so the education sector also deserves reform as other sectors deserve," the chairman voiced.
Listing the dire situations in Africa, the AUC chairman stated, "Libya remains divided and open to all manner of outside interference to satisfy their insatiable appetites. The battered, torn Sudan, deeply trampled by its elites, into chaos, while its people's calls for peace and justice remain justice is being ignored. How, then, can we fail to condemn in the strongest terms the stubbornness of the perpetrators of this senseless adventure, and urgently promote a consensual political solution such as IGAD and the AU, supported by whole sections of the international community called for when the war broke out."
The Chairman also raised his concerns about the situation in the Horn of Africa saying, "The Horn of Africa continues to generate the most worrying trends for all those who love peace and justice. The imperative of total respect for the sovereignty, integrity, security and fundamental interests of all countries in the region has never been as crucial as it is today."
Delivering a speech on his acceptance to the position, the newly elected Chairperson of the African Union Commission (AUC) and President of the Arab Republic of Mauritania, Mohamed Ould Ghazouani said, "What we built together in terms of Agenda 2063, it reflects our plan to develop and to create the Africa we want; an integrated and prosperous Africa where peace reveals and citizens are leaders of the continent and in the world arena, the chairman elucidated."
Talking about peace and security, AU chairperson Mohamed Ould Ghazouani, underlined the need to permanently resolve the lack of peace and conflicts that are a threat to the continent. "Africans should sit down, talk, and follow a strategy that allows them to solve problems through diplomacy."
The new Chairman noted, "The success of our plans and strategies to achieve the noble goal depends on an effective use of human resources to have an effective quality educational system that is open to new technologies."
The adoption of an educational program in Africa, as to the chairman, to achieve a continued quality education this year means this is the right way forward. Adding, "Education is the starting point for sustainable development. It is a major support for peace and security based on promoting skills and opens up new job opportunities and reduces unemployment, poverty, and marginalization."
It is youth to focus on this time, as to the Chairmen, youth covers 62% of the African population. The loss of our youth is the loss of our continent. An uneducated youth means that Africa remains uneducated. African youth are lacking the basic skills. They are unemployed in their countries and are taking up the boats of death through illegal immigration.
"We need a revolution in our educational system our continent is lagging behind when it comes to the achievement of the fourth objective of the development," Mohamed Ould Ghazouani stated.
Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters
Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox
By the same token, Lula Da Silva, President of Brazil, said "Brazilians and Africans need to build our own way to the international system. We need to create new global governance. "In the world, over 250 million students are out of school. We are willing to develop education programs with Africa to promote intense exchange of professors and researchers between the two."
Africa has a tremendous future and Brazil wants to get together with Africa. We collaborate with Africa so that the continent could become independent in food production and provide clean energy from renewable sources, said the President.
"To move forward, to advance post of cooperation with the AU in sectors such as agricultural research, health care, education, environment, and science and technology," Da Silva added.
To wrap up, all stakeholders must work in unison in order to ensure the peace and security of the continent before addressing any other objectives. The culture of sitting around the table and discussing differences should also be the habits of leaders.
BY DANIEL ALEMAYEHU
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD TUESDAY 20 FEBRUARY 2024
