Addis Ababa — The Secretary-General of the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM), Peter Lam Both, has called for greater unity and collaboration among African nations to address the continent's pressing challenges, including poverty, migration, and external influence.
In exclusive interview with ENA, while he is in Addis Ababa to participate during the Prosperity Party's Second Congress, where he was attending as a representative of a sister party, Both emphasized the importance of peer learning and adopting successful strategies across the continent.
"If Africa doesn't work together, it will affect us greatly," he cautioned.
He further urged African leaders to focus on economic transformation, democratization, and the development of a common market to stimulate job creation and economic growth.
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Secretary-General expressed concern that despite decades of independence, many African nations remain trapped in a cycle of poverty.
Both stressed the urgent need to create economic opportunities within Africa, so that its citizens don't have to risk perilous journeys abroad in search of a better life.
He also called for the relaxation of travel restrictions between African countries, which he described as hindering regional integration.
Looking ahead to the upcoming African Union (AU) Summit, Both called on leaders to develop concrete programs and a coordinated development agenda.
He highlighted the issue of migration, attributing it to a lack of economic opportunity, and urged the creation of a common market and the capacity to bring African products to market.
A central theme of Both's address was the need for African solidarity in the face of external pressures.
He warned of upcoming foreign policies from powerful states that could significantly impact the continent and stressed the importance of a unified African response.
SPLM called for a strengthened AU, empowered by its member states, to effectively advocate for the continent's interests on the global stage.
He emphasized that a united Africa is better positioned to negotiate with powerful nations and resist external influence.
"One country cannot influence a powerful state that comes to them," he explained. "But when we work together through the African Union... we will be able to get out victorious from all of this."
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