ADDIS ABABA: African Union leaders warned Thursday that Africa should not become a “geostrategic battlefield” for world powers as it grapples with several threats to its own security and peace.
The continent of has found itself in the middle of a battle for influence among the key powers, which has redoubled since Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.
Africa Should not Become ‘Geostrategic Battlefield’: African Union
And just as the African Union marked the anniversary of the formation of its forerunner, the Organization of AU, on this day in 1963, Kyiv itself announced it wanted to boost relations with Africa.
“In this global context of clash of different political interests, the will of everyone threatens to transform Africa into a geostrategic battlefield, thereby creating a new Cold War,” African Union Commission head Moussa Faki Mahamat said.
He said in an address at the Union head office in Ethiopia, “In this zero-sum game, where the achievements of others would translate into losses for Africa, we should resist all shapes of instrumentalization of our member nations,”.
Earlier, African Union member nations abstained or did not take part in voting on a UN resolution that called for Moscow to withdraw its troops from Ukraine.
Russia has also scheduled a Russia-Africa summit in July after a tour to certain African nations at the start of the year by Russian top diplomat Sergei Lavrov.
Beijing and Washington have also dispatched their ministers for foreign affairs to Africa. China has funded key infrastructure development in the continent.
Faki meanwhile also hailed the successes of the 54-nation AU which succeeded the OAU in 2002: “Independence and victory against apartheid, that of significant economic and scientific progress, sports, arts, the growing international role of Africa and so on.”
The head of the AU, Comoros President Azali Assoumani also condemned “the unconstitutional changes of power” which have increased in Africa in recent years. He said that inter, and intra-African conflicts, and terrorism are major threats for the continent. He said that they must convince their brothers in Sudan to support dialogue to end the ongoing violence.
