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Joseph Chilengi, executive director of Africa Internally Displaced Persons Voice, while acknowledging current efforts in peace building on the continent, indicated that the efforts are not effective, resulting in continued civil strife in some parts of the continent.
The expert, who is also president of the Economic, Social and Cultural Council of the African Union (ECOSOCC-AU), said Africa needs “home-grown” peace building efforts unlike the current situations where the efforts are imposed and directed by the international communities.
“When the AU wanted to intervene in the Libya conflict, they drew up a proper programme but they did not have finances and the international community said if the AU wanted to go with its plan, it must not use funds from outside.
“As a result, the plan was aborted and the international community came with their plan,” he said on the sidelines of the 21st AU Summit and 50th commemoration in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa.
While commending the AU for coming up with comprehensive action plans and policies on peace-building on the continent, the expert added that lack of effective national laws and policies on peace-building in many countries has been a challenge.
Chilengi said there is need to strengthen the roles of the AU and regional economic communities in conflict management in order to strengthen peace-building efforts on the continent and that peace-building efforts must take into account differences and similarities of causes of strife such as religious, ethnic, political or resource related.
The Africa Internally Displaced Persons Voice is a continental non-governmental organisation with its headquarters in the Zambian capital, Lusaka, working to raise awareness and promote effective protection of internally displaced persons and conflict resolution. — Xinhua.
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