ADDIS ABABA, July 20 (Xinhua) -- The African Union (AU) has reiterated the need to promote greater cooperation with the United Nations (UN) and the international community to support African capacities in addressing peace and security challenges in Africa.
Speaking to the UN Security Council, Smail Chergui, AU Commissioner for Peace and Security, noted that AU is an indispensable partner in promoting peace and security in Africa, and it is invariably contributing to addressing global security challenges, according to a statement from the pan-African bloc on Thursday.
Stating that conflict prevention remains the most cost effective conflict management tools but yet the least resourced, the Commissioner noted that AU and UN should establish an institutional approach for real-time consultations and joint activities to the prevention of conflicts in Africa.
Enhancing coordination between the AU and its relevant organs; strengthening platforms for engagement in early warning issues; assisting AU member states to strengthen their own national peace infrastructure; and assisting member states to identify and address local, political and socio-economic root causes of conflicts, are some of the priorities the AU official underlined for cooperation with UN.
The Commissioner has also underlined the need to support the enhancement of the operational readiness of the African Standby Force.
Reiterating that the spread of violent extremism remains a source of concern, Chergui called for support to AU's efforts in countering violent extremism through greater investment in political, human rights, humanitarian and developmental approaches.
"The recent authorization of regional coalitions such the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) against Boko Haram and the G5 Sahel force are innovative ways through which the African Union and its Member States are responding to the prevalence of terrorist activities within the framework of the African Union Peace and Security Architecture," he said.
"Yet, prolonged conflicts and governance deficits provide fertile grounds for a cycle of radicalization and extremism. Therefore, the African Union and United Nations must work together in resolving seemingly intractable conflicts by building resilience through sustainable post-conflict reconstruction and development initiatives," he added.
The Commissioner has also underlined the need to work together on issues related to the financing of peace support operations on the continent.
