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Though it was convened under the theme, “Consolidation of intra-African trade”, the midterm Summit was seized with deliberating solutions to the peace and security challenges in Mali, Guinea Bissau, Sudan, and the DRC as well as bringing finality to the impasse that had gripped the leadership of the AU Commission.
President Mugabe, who was speaking in his address to the plenary of the 19th Ordinary Session of the African Union in Addis Ababa, underscored the importance of protecting the continent’s territorial integrity.
“When all is said and done in regard to the peace and security situation of Africa whether we look at Somalia, or we look at Mali, Libya, Egypt et cetera, what we all want to see is that whatever situations of concern arise, these situations are the concern for Africa. First and foremost, and if Africa says alone it is not adequate then Africa will resort to the international area where we have the United Nations,”’ he said
The President cited the case of Libya where Nato abused a UN resolution to invade Libya, depose the government and kill Colonel Gaddafi and his children.
“Instead of operating within the scope of the agreement, it (Nato) extended its activities beyond that scope. And we saw it damage the Libyan situation much beyond our expectations. They did lots of harm to the lives of people. Many people were killed. And they pursued the lives of persons, the lives Gaddafi, his children.”’
He congratulated Libyans on their elections saying he hoped they would end with a government of their own making and not one imposed from outside.
Nato launched a six-months bombardment of Libya after abusing UN Resolution 1973 that mandated it to impose a No-Fly Zone over Libya in the wake of reports that the Libyan government was killing civilians when western-backed rebels took up arms to topple the Gaddafi government.
Turning to Mali where Ecowas had sought and apparently got the greenlight to intervene militarily, President Mugabe advised the west African bloc to ensure that it mobilises a strong force that will be victorious as anything less would only serve to worsen instability in the west African nation.
“So it is necessary that Ecowas sends a force there, which is strong enough. A force that is going to overcome the terrorism that is in the area.”
The President decried the destruction of treasures in Timbuktu saying such historical sites should be protected from the marauding rebels.
Mali, which recently suffered a coup, has been taken over by Al-Qaeda-linked Islamist militants raising fears of increasing instability in the Sahel region. The jihadists fought alongside, but then chased off, separatist Tuareg rebels, and have since enforced strict Islamic law and destroyed ancient World Heritage sites they consider idolatrous in the fabled city of Timbuktu.
He urged the leaders of Sudan and South Sudan, Presidents Omar al-Bashir and Salva Kiir to honour the pledges they made to the Peace and Security Council by moving their countries from a state of war to peace and viable cooperation.
“I trust that President Bashir and President Kiir are all men of honour that they will abide by their word and the promises they made. We look forward of course to giving them any assistance they might require from us, in the process that they are, first and foremost they are the players, they are the people who must ensure that there is peace in their area, that there is cooperation.”
Sudan and its Southern neighbour which declared independence last year are embroiled in disputes over oil revenue and border demarcations, among other issues.
The President urged the AU chairman to bring finality to the long-running conflict between Morocco and the Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic saying the AU had let the SADR down despite having the issue on the agenda year after year.
“Can Morocco still continue standing in the way of the right to self-determination that the people of Saharawi have? What do we have as an effective programme for that country or are we going to be, year in and year out, purely going to be hearing Saharawi representatives coming before us here to tell us nothing has happened?” the President said.
The SADR claims sovereignty over the entire territory of Western Sahara, a former Spanish colony where it controls about 20-25 percent of the territory while Morocco which controls and administers the rest of the disputed territory, calls the lands its southern provinces.
Morocco unilaterally withdrew from the OAU on 12 November 1984 following the continental bloc’s recognition and admission of the Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic in 1982.
President Mugabe and his delegation returned home early yesterday morning. The President was welcomed at Harare International Airport by Vice President Joice Mujuru, Defence Minister Emmerson Mnangagwa, Public Works Deputy Minister Guy Georgias, service chiefs and senior Government officials.
Online Reporter