The African Union (AU) is holding its 35th summit on Saturday and Sunday, bringing together African heads of state and government or diplomacy, like the Kingdom represented in the circumstances by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccans Residing Abroad Nasser Bourita in Addis Ababa.
Party under the theme ” Building Resilience in Nutrition Security on the African Continent: Strengthening Agriculture, Accelerating Socioeconomic and Human Capital Development “, we do not know if Africa will come out of it even more divided or more united than ever, but with regard to what is at issue on the agenda, except that disagreements will necessarily be in order. Two days during this AU Summit, on 35th of gender, we will therefore look at the response to be given to Dame Covid in Africa, economic recovery, development and integration of the Continent, governance, climate change and draft legal instruments in addition to points related to “peace” and security. In other words, more raw than a loaded program. Let’s judge! coups d’etat, conflicts, Lady Covid, Israel… only subjects that annoy except perhaps and inevitably the pandemic. To signify this paradox, we will begin with conflicts. Curiously, three months ago, several embassies called on their nationals to leave Ethiopia, but it is clear that African delegations flocked there instead for this face-to-face summit.
We don’t know if Tigray and separatism will be addressed or not in this respect, but if it will be, it’s lip service and above all without any decision. Other paradoxes, in terms of coups, Guinea, Mali, Burkina Faso and Sudan were banned from this African meeting. Why deprive these countries, victims of mostly popular military coups, we would say, from participating when other countries which have experienced “democratic” coups d’etat, shall we say, like the Tunisia where all the powers are concentrated in the only Kaïs Saïed, to be invited. But in Africa there are other big countries that want this governance, you just have to get up early as the saying goes. Go on ! we will put this down to the inconsistencies of our continent in the face of unconstitutional transitions, provided that God lends us life to grow.
But between us, where we will really argue the most in Addis Ababa tomorrow Sunday is undoubtedly about Israel. It is that the debates will be very stormy. The setting, last July, the president of the commission, Mahamat Moussa Faki granted observer status to the Jewish state, thus arousing strong criticism and probable divisions within the organization, particularly virulent on the part of from Algeria and South Africa, follow… other looks. These two countries which, moreover, are among the member countries which strongly oppose this decision, have included it on the agenda of the summit. It will therefore be discussed tomorrow, during this summit. This is also another paradox because in what way can this more symbolic status, of observer, what other things weigh on the African Forum. For many analysts, a possible vote on this question could mark an unprecedented split in the history of the African Union created 20 years ago on the ashes of its predecessor the OAU. And already the alliances in this sense are made and undone, we imagine it is from the highest, stronger further and to whoever will offer the most.
Mahamat Moussa Faki in his opening speech at the summit defended his choice by calling for a “calm debate”. He assured that the AU’s commitment to the Palestinians’ “quest for independence” was “unchanging and can only continue to grow stronger”, while asserting that its decision to grant accreditation to Israel could be an “instrument in the service of peace”. This 35th face-to-face African summit. But for Ethiopia, which therefore hosts its headquarters and whose responsibility it is, the organization is a political victory for its Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed. There are so many concerns that Tigray should slip through the cracks. It will however be recalled that at the end of the summit, it is the Senegalese President Macky Sall who will take control of the AU for the coming year.
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