Egypt affirms its desire to effectively interact with peace and security challenges in Africa



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Egypt concluded its month-long presidency of the African Union (AU) Peace and Security Council on Saturday.

The witness was delivered by Osama Abdel Khalek, Egyptian ambassador to Addis Ababa and permanent representative of the country to the AU. In doing so, he said that the country’s leadership on the council aimed to implement rapid interaction with various peace and security challenges on the continent.

At the same time, Egypt has focused on achieving tangible results that can continue to be monitored.

Abdel Khalek also said that, during the Egyptian presidency, the council was interested in supporting the peace agreement with Sudan concluded on October 3. It also sought to address a number of arrangements that would support Sudan during the current transition phase, especially in regards to lifting sanctions against it and supporting the economic recovery.

He added that the Egyptian presidency of the Council also witnessed the end of sanctions against Mali and the restoration of the country’s full AU membership. Restoring stability in Mali would enhance efforts to combat terrorist organizations in the Sahel region of Africa.

Abdel Khalek commended the Peace and Security Council for presenting an Egyptian initiative in its first session, in which it discussed the phenomenon of foreign terrorist fighters and their impact on peace and security in Africa. During the session, the member states were informed about the danger of this file and the disturbing threat it poses to stability and peace throughout the continent.

In a related context, the Peace and Security Council has recently begun to consider the various aspects of a proposal to form an African counter-terrorism force as part of the African Standby Force.

Abdel Khalek also said that the Council’s handling of peace and security issues was extended to new dimensions based on providing an environment conducive to preventing the outbreak of conflict and preventing its recurrence. This would take into account the Egyptian president’s leadership in the post-conflict reconstruction and development archive at the level of African leaders.

In this regard, the ambassador referred to a session held during the presidency of Egypt to review progress in the implementation of post-conflict reconstruction and development activities on the continent.

Another interactive session was held with the United Nations Peacebuilding Commission, during which experiences and lessons learned related to supporting countries that have just emerged from armed conflict were exchanged.

Abdel Khalek added that the two sessions witnessed widespread interest in Cairo as the headquarters of the African Union Center for Post-conflict Reconstruction and Development.

He also highlighted that the Egyptian Presidency of the Council addressed the issue of the human rights situation during armed conflicts, especially in relation to women. The implementation of the Women, Peace and Security Agenda was also taken into account, in accordance with Resolution 1325 of the Security Council.

The council celebrated the 20th anniversary of its adoption and called for effective measures to continue expanding the participation of women in peacebuilding and peacekeeping efforts. This would also mean the immediate cessation of all forms of violence and violations against women.

He also added that the Council continued a consultative dialogue that brought it together with the European Union Committee on Political and Security Affairs. This year, the dialogue focused on events in the Sahel region, Somalia and Sudan.

The two sides agreed to issue a joint statement reviewing the convergence of African and European positions on a number of challenges facing peace and security in Africa.

Abdel Khalek concluded his remarks by explaining that the efforts made by Egyptian diplomacy to lead one of the most important African decision-making bodies were highly appreciated and widely praised. This comes especially in light of the challenges associated with measures to contain the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and its impact on the multilateral work system, including work within the AU.





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