Sunday Aborisade in Abuja

Former Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of United Nations Mission in Dafur, Professor Ibrahim Gambari, has advocated reformation of the African Union Peace and Security Council as one of the ways to tackle insecurity and achieve sustainable peace on the African continent.

The Chief of Staff to former President Muhammadu Buhari and former Joint Special Representative of UN, African Union and Chief Mediator in Dafur, stated this at an event organised by Chatham House and the UNDP, at the 38th Ordinary Session, Assembly of African Union in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on Friday, February 14.

Gambari, according to the text of his speech made available to journalists in Abuja, also stressed that making all UN peace operations in Africa hybrid missions jointly mandated and conducted by the world body and the AU will equally elevate peace processes in the region.

He spoke on the theme: “African Peace Progress: Prospects for durable Agreement to End Conflicts.”

H said the recent UN Security Council Resolution 2719 (2023) and the implementation of the plan of Action of the African Standby Force for achieving full operational capacity without further delay would be hugely helpful.

Gambari argued that a re-examination of the African peace and security architecture was overdue, adding that a bottom-up approach which recognises and involves local authorities, sub national groups as well as the private sector and professional groups were essential.

He said: “In order to address and end violent conflicts in Africa, and indeed across the world, and deepen prospects for durable peace agreements, effective collaboration and astute coordination are required.

“These would not be possible without urgent assessment and enhancement of national, regional and global mechanisms for conflict prevention, peace management and conflict resolution.”

He raised some issues that are essential to peace, based on his own experience as the Joint Special Representative of the United Nations and African Union and Chief Mediator in Darfur and as Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of UN Mission in Darfur and Head of Office of Special Adviser on Africa dealing with promotion and coordinating international support for NEPAD.

For instance, he stressed the need for the use of mediation instead of embracing hard force in peace keeping and establishment of the International Criminal Court (ICC) to try suspects.

Gambari said addressing the root causes of conflicts like natural and environmental challenges was essential.

He noted that groups and individuals who are playing spoilers roles in collaboration with foreign interests should be identified as fished out for peace to reign in the continent.

He added that mediators in crisis must build relationships of trust and confidence with the parties and must also be impartial, tough, humble but very patient.