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George Maponga in Masvingo
Pan African Parliament(PAP) President Chief Fortune Charumbira has paid homage to the African Union Peace and Security Council (PSC) for acknowledging the continental legislative body’s mandate to help engender peace, security and stability on the African continent, which continues to be plagued by sounds of gunfire in flash points such as Sudan.
Speaking in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa, which is the AU permanent seat, at the annual consultative meeting between the PSC and PAP today, Chief Charumbira noted that the resuscitation of such critical meetings is key in adding impetus to the quest to exorcise the ghost of endless wars and conflicts besetting Africa.
He revealed that his bureau is relieved that the continental legislative body’s inalienable role to contributing to Africa’s peace, security and stability is being accentuated by the revival of such consultative meetings with the PSC to which PAP is part of.
Chief Charumbira singled out for special praise, the chairperson of PSC (June 2023), Ambassador Sophia Nyamudeza for recognising the importance of working together more effectively within the AU, to promote democracy and good governance.
”The convening of the meeting (consultative meeting between PSC and PAP) is a welcome relief to the PAP Bureau as it is an acknowledgement of the mandate of the Pan African Parliament and its important role in contributing to peace, security and stability on the continent,” Chief Charumbira said.
”The Bureau was becoming increasingly worried by some assertions from within the AU Organs that the Pan African Parliament had no role to play in promoting peace, democracy and good governance on the continent with particular reference to Election Observation Missions (EOMs).”
He expressed dismay over the entrenched beliefs in some quarters that PAP’s role is negligible when weaving the blanket of peace, stability, security, good governance and democracy across Africa.
”It is worrisome to note that, as recently as the PRC Retreat on the Reform of the AU held in Kigali, Rwanda, from 8-11 June 2023, some participants were adamant that the PAP had no role to play in EOMs and that this was exclusively the role of the Peace and Security Council through the Department of Political Affairs, Peace and Security (PAPS).”
Chief Charumbira also noted that it would be ill-advised to leave PAP out of elections observer missions.
”It would also be folly for the Pan African Parliament to be left out of election observation missions when the European Parliament, for example, brings a large contingent of its MPs to observe elections in Africa.
“Besides the fact that no one understands elections better than MPs who are themselves products of elections in their home countries, it would be ill-advised to elbow out the voice of the African people’s elected representatives while giving a prominent voice to outsiders.
In a sense, in doing so we are surrendering Africa’s sovereignty to our erstwhile colonisers again,” said Chief Charumbira.
PAP also wants synergy with the African Union Commission in the sphere of fact finding missions with Chief Charumbira lamenting previous incidences when the two AU organs came up with conflicting statements, particularly in areas of conflict.
Chief Charumbira concluded by saying that there is light at the end of the tunnel in the hunt for peace, security and stability in Africa anchored on close cooperation between PAP and the PSC but he also questioned the holding of talks, to end the war in Sudan, in Jeddah at the behest of the US and Saudi Arabia pointing out that this was an indictment on the AU and its organs.
Online Reporter