African Union praises role of Angolan head of State

 Luanda – Angolan president’s commitment to peace and reconciliation in the African continent was highlighted by the Committee of Permanent Representatives (COREP) of the African Union (AU) in Addis Ababa (Ethiopia)on on Thursday.

COREP praised the brilliant and effective way in which João Lourenço led the work of the Humanitarian Extraordinary Summit and Donor Conference, as well as the extraordinary meeting on Terrorism and Unconstitutional Changes of Government in Africa.

COREP members highlighted the way in which the Angolan statesman conducted the sessions, due to the unavailability of his Senegalese counterpart, Macky Sall, chairperson of the AU.

The initiative contributed to the success of the two continental events, which took place in Malabo (Equatorial Guinea) on the 27th and 28th of May.

At the last AU Summit, President João Lourenço was designated “Champion/Promoter for Peace and Reconciliation in Africa”.

This was due to his engagement in the search for increasingly participatory and inclusive forms of governance that contribute to the dissemination of a national culture of peace, as well as pacification on the continent, especially under the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR).

As the AU Champion for Peace and Reconciliation, the Angolan statesman is responsible for leading the mobilisation of political support and cooperation from Member States, as well as to move forward the international support so that greater priority is given to the prevention, management and resolution of conflicts in Africa.

In order for the continent to occupy an increasingly dynamic and assertive position in the global arena, the Heads of State and Government started to designate some of their peers to be AU Champions in specific and strategic thematic areas with the aim of promoting peace, stability, growth and development, fundamental bases for achieving Agenda 2063.

Speaking at the COREP session, the Permanent Representative of Angola to the AU, Francisco José da Cruz, thanked the Member States for having supported the country's proposal, presented in February 2020 for the holding of the Extraordinary Summit on Terrorism and Unconstitutional Changes of Government in Africa, as well as for the active participation in the event.

Francisco José da Cruz also underlined the support provided by the AU Commission for the implementation of the decision of the Heads of State and Government for the Summit to take place, especially the President of the Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat, and the Commissioner for Political Affairs, Paz and Security, Ambassador Bankole Adeoye.

The diplomat also praised the authorities of Equatorial Guinea for having hosted the Summit and created working conditions so that it had the success recognised by the participants.

Likewise, he reaffirmed Angola's commitment to contribute to the implementation at African level of two strategic AU themes (peace and reconciliation) to achieve the silencing of weapons on the continent.