East African Gazette
Ethiopia
African leaders continue to explore potential long-term solutions to gun violence and other conflicts on the continent during the 37th African Union Summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
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The meeting is taking place amidst a backdrop of thousands of individuals being displaced due to gun violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), as a result of heightened clashes between government forces and the M23 rebel group.
The United Nations has also reported that in the Sahel region alone, armed conflict led to the deaths of approximately 12,000 individuals, predominantly civilians, last year (2023).
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Countries in the Sahel region include Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Gambia, Guinea, Mauritania, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, and Senegal.
On February 16, 2024, leaders engaged in a private meeting prior to the official commencement of the 37th Ordinary Session of the African Union (AU) Assembly, with the aim of achieving peace in Africa by 2030.
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The closed Mini Summit, led by João Manuel Goncalves Lourenço, President of Angola and AU Champion for Peace and Reconciliation in Africa, is focused on the Peace and Security Situation in the Eastern Region of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in order to find sustainable solutions for peace, security, and stability in the area.
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The meeting occurred at the Mwalimu Julius Nyerere Peace and Security auditorium at the African Union headquarters in Addis Ababa.
Uganda is being represented by Vice President Major (RTD) Jessica Alupo, who is attending on behalf of President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni.
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On Friday (February 16, 2024), Alupo arrived in Addis Ababa and was warmly welcomed at Bole International Airport by Dr. Ergoge Tesfaye, the Minister for Women and Social Affairs of Ethiopia, Gen. Jeje Odongo, Uganda’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, and Rebecca Otengo, Uganda’s Ambassador to Ethiopia, along with other esteemed guests.
The Summit, with the theme “Educate an African fit for the 21st Century: Building resilient education systems for increased access to inclusive, lifelong, quality, and relevant learning in Africa”, is currently in progress.
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Additionally, the leaders inaugurated the monument of former Tanzanian president, Mwalimu Julius Nyerere, at the Julius Nyerere Peace and Security Building located at the African Union headquarters in Addis Ababa.
The former President of Sierra Leone, President Ernest Bai Koroma, introduced the initiative with the goal of resolving the conflicts by 2020.
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However, the deadline was later extended to 2030.
Despite this effort, some countries such as Sudan, South Sudan, Somalia, and Libya, among others, still grapple with conflicts. The continent remains plagued by military coups, electoral violence, and humanitarian crises.
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