Morocco, chair of the Peace and Security Council (PSC) of the African Union (AU) for the month of March, convened informal consultations in Addis Ababa on Tuesday with Burkina Faso, Gabon, Guinea, Mali, Niger and Sudan.
“It is with a deep sense of responsibility and an unwavering commitment to the unity, peace, stability and progress of our beloved Continent that the Kingdom of Morocco, in its capacity as Chair of the PSC, has convened these informal discussions with our brothers from Burkina Faso, Gabon, Guinea, Mali, Niger and Sudan”, the Kingdom’s Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the AU and UNECA Mohamed Arrouchi, who chaired a PSC videoconference meeting devoted to these consultations.
Arrouchi recalled that these exchanges fall fully in line with the PSC’s mandate, as defined by its Protocol, in particular Article 8 paragraph 11, which provides for informal consultations with the parties concerned by a situation under examination, whenever required.
Through implementing this key provision of the Protocol, “our meeting aims to strengthen dialogue with states in political transition, to listen to them and to explore together the best means to promote stability, peace and their return to constitutional order, thus paving the way for their full reintegration into our continental organization”, the Moroccan diplomat asserted.
This informal framework “presents the opportunity to address, in all frankness and in a constructive spirit, the challenges and expectations of these brotherly countries, taking into account the realities that are theirs, their national peculiarities and the regional dynamics in which they evolve”, the Ambassador emphasized.
Arrouchi added that this meeting was therefore an essential step towards strengthening dialogue between countries in political transition and AU institutions, identifying paths of intersection and reinforcing inter-African cooperation for lasting peace and stability.
“Our joint action towards our brothers in transition must be guided by a multidimensional approach, rooted in cooperation and solidarity, in order to identify sustainable solutions tailored to the specific contexts of each country”, he stressed, noting that ‘this meeting marks a significant step towards common and lasting solutions in favor of peace, stability and progress in Africa’.