DECISION ON THE FIFTH REPORT OF THE PEACE AND SECURITY COUNCIL OF
THE AFRICAN UNION ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE AFRICAN UNION
MASTER ROADMAP OF PRACTICAL STEPS FOR SILENCING THE GUNS IN
AFRICA BY THE YEAR 2020
Doc. Assembly/AU/6(XXXIII)
The Assembly,
ADOPTS the Fifth Report of the Peace and Security Council (PSC) of the African Union (AU) on the Implementation of the African Union Master Roadmap of Practical Steps to Silence The Guns in Africa by the Year 2020 (AUMR) and COMMENDS the PSC for its continued constant guidance on the implementation of the AUMR, particularly through its decisions on peace and security issues in the Continent;
RECALLS the Organization of African Unity/ African Union (OAU/AU) 50th Anniversary Solemn Declaration adopted on 25 May 2013, in Addis Ababa, in which the Assembly of the Union pledged not to bequeath the burden of wars to the next generation of Africans and undertook to end all wars in Africa by the year 2020, as well as Decision Assembly/AU/Dec.630 (XXVIII) by which the 28th Ordinary Session of the Assembly, held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, from 30 to 31 January 2017, adopted, following submission by the PSC, the AU Master Roadmap of Practical Steps for Silencing the Guns in Africa by the Year 2020;
UNDERSCORES the progress made, so far, on the implementation of the AUMR, in particular the political aspect, and CALLS ON Member States to redouble their efforts to ensure other aspects in the AUMR namely, economic, social, environmental and legal are also implemented and well reported. In this context, the Assembly COMMENDS all AU the Member States, the Regional Economic Communities/Regional Mechanisms for Conflict, Management and Resolution (RECs/RMs), Civil Society Organizations and the private sector, as well as the United Nations (UN) and other partners for their efforts and commitments towards implementation of the AUMR, which gives support to Africa’s efforts in silencing the guns and create a conflict-free Africa;
WELCOMES the AU Theme of the Year 2020 "Silencing the Guns: Creating Conducive Conditions for Africa’s Development’ and ENCOURAGES all Member States, RECs/RMs, Civil Society Organizations and private sectors, UN and partners to use the opportunity of the Theme of the Year 2020 to focus on implementing targeted activities with specific objectives and outcomes, with a view to accelerate and concentrate efforts in the implementation of the AUMR; the Assembly further REITERATES the imperative to expeditiously create conditions for promoting a conflict-free Africa;
ALSO WELCOMES the UN Security Council Resolution 2457 adopted on 27 February 2019 under the Presidency of Equatorial Guinea. In this context, the Assembly COMMENDS the African Members in The UN Security Council (A3) who jointly promoted and championed the adoption of the Resolution, as well as the PSC and the AU Commission for their support to the A3. In this regard, the Assembly UNDERLINES that the Resolution is a step forward in mobilizing international support with a view to achieving the goal of conflict-free Africa. The Assembly APPEALS to all Member States and all stakeholders involved to ensure fully implementation of the Resolution as Africa marks the end of AUMR implementation in December 2020;
COMMENDS Member States for the gains achieved in advancing democratic elections and consolidating good governance as essential conditions for responding to the need of their citizens, particularly through improved socioeconomic delivery and encourage them to continue on this path. The Assembly ALSO COMMENDS those Member States which have seized the opportunity of the technical support availed by the Commission and encourage others to emulate. To this effect, the Assembly APPLAUDS the AU Commission for the efforts deployed and support provided in assisting Member States in implementing their national programmes and REQUESTS the Commission to continue providing support. The Assembly ENCOURAGES Member States, with the support of the AU Commission, to continue mobilizing the necessary resources for their national programmes, especially those relating to silencing the guns. The Assembly STRONGLY CONDEMNS any external political and military interference in the affairs of the Continent and CALLS ON Member States to further enhance and consolidate cooperation and solidarity among themselves with a view to ensuring that Africa shapes its destiny, in line with AU instruments, particularly the African Common Defence and Security Policy. The Assembly ENCOURAGES the PSC to continue providing strategic leadership and guidance in advancing the conduct of peaceful elections and enhancing good governance within the Continent;
COMMENDS the PSC for its continued efforts towards the full operationalization and deployment of the African Standby Force (ASF), including the continued provision of strategic guidance for the harmonization of African Capacity for Immediate Response to Crises (ACIRC) within the ASF Framework. The Assembly ALSO COMMENDS the ACIRC Volunteer Nations for their commitment to comply with the relevant decisions of the Assembly and the communiques of the PSC and ensure the rapid harmonization of the ACIRC within the framework of the ASF. The Assembly FURTHER COMMENDS the Commission for the efforts deployed in the development of various policies for the functioning of the ASF, particularly the new Doctrine for Peace Support Operations, as well as towards the establishment of the ASF Regional Logistic Depots. The Assembly ENCOURAGES the ASF Regional Standby Brigades for the continued efforts to ensure readiness for deployment;
URGES Member States to fully adhere to AU instruments and policies, particularly the Common African Defence and Security Policy and also to the AU Non-Aggression Pact, taking into consideration that the defence and security of one country in Africa is directly linked to that of others;
TAKES NOTE WITH APPRECIATION of the progress made in revitalizing the AU Peace Fund and COMMENDS all Member States who have made contribution to the Fund, with a view to ensuring that Africa become self-reliant on peace and security agenda and enhance the ability for timely response to situations in the Continent which will greatly contribute to silencing the guns and create conducive conditions for socio-economic development; The Assembly CALLS UPON those Member States who have not yet paid up, to expeditiously make their contributions to consolidate Africa’s efforts towards self-reliance. Furthermore, the Assembly CONGRATULATES the following Member States for their pledges to financially support the Peace Fund:
Senegal: $500,000.00 allocated for the Women, Peace and Security programme and $500,000.00 for the Peace Fund
Nigeria: $1,000,000.00 for combatting terrorism in the Sahel
South Africa: $1,000,000.00 for humanitarian assistance in the Sahel
Ghana: $ 1,000,000.00 for the Peace Fund
REQUESTS the PSC, working with other AU Organs and RECs/RMs Policy Organs, to take appropriate action and put in place a format of interaction to address early warning and early response issues, in order to prevent full-blown conflicts in order to enhance opportunities for silencing the guns in Africa. In this regard, the Assembly ALSO REQUESTS the PSC and the RECs/RMs Policy Organs to reflect on the development of such a format in their upcoming Consultative Meeting on Peace and Security in May 2020. The Assembly REITERATES its call upon Member States to take advantage of the AU Structural of Vulnerability Assessment Tools in a way that contributes to sustaining national cohesion and stability and in this context COMMENDS Ghana for its efforts. The Assembly ENCOURAGES Member States to take evidencebased early warning information, as gathered by the Commission and the RECs/RMs Secretariats, and engage the necessary measures to maintain stability, including extending the necessary cooperation to the PSC and the Commission;
COMMENDS the PSC, with the support of the AU Commission, in enhancing cooperation and synergy in the implementation of the DDR and SSR programmes, as well in the fight against illicit small arms and light weapons; ALSO COMMENDS the AU Commission for the continental study mapping of illicit arms flows in Africa and ENDORSES the recommendations of the joint mapping study as endorsed by the PSC at its 860th Meeting, held on 18 July 2019; The Assembly URGES Member States, the Commission, and RECs/RMs, with a small arms mandate, to further enhance their respective capacities towards undertaking integrated and comprehensive measures to address this scourge in line with the regional and international instruments; Furthermore, the Assembly STRONGLY CONDEMNS all violations of arms embargoes currently in effect in Africa, particularly as they result in illegal supplies to terrorist groups and armed groups, as well as criminal networks, undermine the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Member States, and threaten regional security and stability; The Assembly STRESSES the urgency for Member States to eliminate the supply of small arms and light weapons on unauthorized non-state actors and act for the disarmament of these armed groups and to put to an end their actions; The Assembly URGES all Member States to put in place measures to curb illicit proliferation of arms/weapons and also other measures to arrest the persistent inflow of illegal arms/weapons into various parts of the Continent; The Assembly CALLS for naming and shaming of any entity or persons engaged in illegal supply of arms/weapons, including financing and safe havens for this traffic; The Assembly REQUESTS the PSC to increase its collaboration with the UN Security Council to address implementation gaps, including through the framework of the annual joint consultative meeting between the two Councils;
CALLS UPON the PSC to continue providing strategic guidance on the implementation of Disarmament, Demobilization and Re-integration (DDR) and Security Sector Reform (SSR) in those Member States emerging from conflict, upon their request; The Assembly ENCOURAGES the Commission to continue providing technical assistance to Member States to facilitate their DDR and SSR programmes and URGES it to continue with these efforts;
CONDEMNS IN THE STRONGEST TERMS POSSIBLE the acts of terrorisms and all its forms in Africa and ADVISES against the propagation of this scourge in the Continent; The Assembly APPEALS to Member States to continue developing their national action plans, with the support of the ACSRT, and strengthening their national institutional structures dedicated to fighting terrorism and violent extremism, as well as sharing best practices and experiences in the fight against extremist speeches; The Assembly COMMEND the Kingdom of Morocco for its initiative to host the next UN Global Forum for Alliance of Civilization in 2020 and LOOKS FORWARD to the outcomes of the Forum which are expected to contribute significantly to the promotion of culture of peace in Africa; WELCOMES the Conference on “The Role of Islam in Africa: Tolerance and Moderation in the face of internal struggles”, organized by the International Forum for the strengthening of peace in Muslim societies, which held in Nouakchott, in Mauritania, on 21 January 2020; ALSO TAKES NOTE of the Declaration adopted at the end of the Conference by the Imams, Ulemas and Muslim religious leaders from all over Africa;
EMPHASIZES the need to differentiate the message of hate purportedly from Islam which is disseminated by terrorist groups and violent extremists from the message of authentic Islam which is structured around the universal values of tolerance, peace and brotherhood;
URGES Member States to strengthen efforts to promote the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights and to raise awareness of the African values of religious tolerance and peaceful coexistence, which are essential to the achievement of the objectives of peace and development included in Agenda 2063;
REQUESTS the AU, working closely with the RECs/RMs Secretariats, to propose further technical measures in support of AU Member States to enhance their capacity to improve maritime security and safety, as well as the development of the Blue Economy; The Assembly ALSO REQUESTS the AU Commission, while awaiting entry into force of the Lome Charter, to take the initiative to put in place a consultative forum that will facilitate periods review of progress in Africa’s maritime domain; The Assembly FURTHER REQUESTS the AU Commission to finalize the review of the draft Annexes to the Lome Charter, as an integral part of the Charter, with a view to facilitating its rapid signature and ratification by Member States; The Assembly ENCOURAGES Member States to conduct joint patrols in their respective territorial waters and APPEALS to partners to extend their support to the AU in addressing maritime insecurity in Africa;
CALLS ON Member States to undertake regular cyber security risk assessments, with the support of the Commission, especially AFRIPOL and COMMENDS those Member States that have already signed and ratified, and are already implementing the AU Convention on Cyber Security and Personal Data Protection (Malabo Convention of 2014); in this respect, the Assembly ENCOURAGES those Member States, which have not yet done so, to also do the same without further delay; The Assembly REQUESTS the AU Commission to establish platforms, such as regional forums dedicated to discussing cyber security-related issues, with a view to facilitating sharing of experiences, lessons learnt and best practices, as well as promoting regional and international cooperation in promoting cyber security. The Assembly also REQUESTS the Department of Infrastructure and Energy of the AU Commission, working in close collaboration with the RECs/RMs Secretariats, to expeditiously develop a Continental Cyber Security Strategy and a Cyber Security Model Law for submission to the PSC for its consideration;
APPLAUDS the PSC and those Member States which have conducted the Africa Amnesty Month (AAM) and CALLS FOR other Member States to also carry out this activity within the collective responsibility to ensure the silencing of the guns in the Continent. The Assembly CALLS UPON the RECs/RMs with their Member States, to intensify efforts to ensure success of the AAM in their regions; Furthermore, the Assembly ENCOURAGES the PSC to conduct the AAM in the field to create public awareness and for the citizens to appreciate the initiative and its contribution towards peace; The Assembly COMMENDS the AU Commission for its technical and financial support to Member States and
APPEALS to partners to continue providing support to the AU Commission in the implementation of this activity;
EXPRESSES GRATITUDE to the Government of Egypt for its commitment and support, as well as to the AU Commission for the efforts deployed towards the operationalization of the African Union Centre for Post-Conflict Reconstruction and Development; The Assembly CALLS UPON Member States to fund the Centre as part of the regular budget beginning in 2021, with a view to ensuring that the Centre functions in a sustainable manner; In this regard, the Assembly REQUESTS the AU Commission to undertake a review of PCRD implementation and establish a data base of PCRD experts, in line with PSC decisions;
ENCOURAGES Member States to engage further in implementing the practical steps outlined under the Economic Aspect of the AUMR, in order to generate the conditions necessary for advancing economic activities, as well as job creation, particularly for the youth; The Assembly URGES Member States to continue implementing AU instruments and policies, with particular attention to promoting the role of women and youth in peace processes and development; The Assembly COMMENDS the PSC for the progress made in ensuring that the issues of youth and women are cross-cutting in the peace, security and development agenda of the Continent; The Assembly REQUESTS the PSC to continue mainstreaming the dimension of peace, security and development in the implementation of the AUMR, given its positive impact on the stabilization of the Continent;
APPLAUDS the PSC for its leadership with regard to prevention and responses to epidemic/pandemic outbreaks in Africa, in particular the authorization of the immediate deployment of an AU Mission Against Ebola in DRC (MAEC), to provide support to the relevant DRC authorities in the fight against Ebola virus in that country. The Assembly COMMENDS the AU Commission for its technical support provided to countries affected by the Ebola outbreak and UNDERSCORES that the establishment of CDC Africa is one of the major achievements of Africa in creating a conducive social environment for African citizens. In this regard, the Assembly REQUESTS Member States to continue providing their support to the activities of the Africa CDC;
URGES Member States to continue promoting zero-tolerance of sexual abuse, in particular in AU peace support operations; the Assembly REQUESTS Member States to protect IDPs and refugee camps, against any form of militarization and to maintain the civilian character of these camps and public infrastructures; The Assembly APPEALS to all private sectors and the international community as a whole, to extend the necessary financial and technical support to the promotion of social activities in the Continent;
With regard to the response to natural disaster, the Assembly REQUESTS the Chairperson of the AU Commission to make recommendations on how to enable the Permanent Representatives Committee’s Sub-Committee on Refugees, Returnees and IDPs to respond swiftly in cases of occurrence of natural disasters and humanitarian situations in the Continent; The Assembly ALSO REQUESTS the Commission to expedite the operationalization of the African Humanitarian Agency (AfHA) as provided for in the African Common Position on Humanitarian Effectiveness, with a view to supporting Member States on disaster risk preparedness and management; Furthermore, the Assembly UNDERSCORES the important role of the ASF in providing humanitarian assistance to alleviate the suffering of civilian population in conflict areas and support efforts to address effects of natural disasters on the Continent, in line with Article 13 (3)(f) of the PSC Protocol; The Assembly ENCOURAGES Member States to implement the AU Kigali Action Plan on water and sanitation in Africa adopted in Malabo in 2014 and the Malabo Declaration on Accelerated Agricultural Growth and Transformation for shared prosperity and improved livelihoods adopted in 2014;
COMMENDS the operationalization of the climate commissions dedicated to the Sahel and Congo Basin regions, emanating from the African Summit of Action held in Marrakesh in 2016 and REQUESTS the AU Commission, in full collaboration with Member States to support the operationalization of the Commissions on the Sahel and Congo Basin, as well as the Commission on Small Island States, in line with the Assembly Decision Assembly/AU/Dec.723(XXXII). In line with the PSC decisions, the Assembly REQUESTS the Chairperson of the AU Commission to explore innovative means of financing climate actions in Africa such as African Adaptation Initiative (AAI); African Renewable Energy Initiative (AREI); Initiative for Adaptation of African Agriculture (AAA), and the Commissions on the Sahel and Congo Basin, as well as on Small Island States. In this regard, the Assembly ALSO REQUESTS the Chairperson of the Commission to report to the Assembly on this initiative. Furthermore, the Assembly REITERATES its request to the Chairperson of the AU Commission to appoint a Special Envoy on climate change and security in Africa;
EXPRESSES APPRECIATION on the progress made in signing and ratification of OAU/AU treaties and legal instruments by Member States and COMMENDS the AU Commission for the Study it has undertaken to this effect; The Assembly ENCOURAGES Member States to continue signing, ratifying and domesticating these treaties and instruments in order to ensure advancement towards the realization of AU visions and goals, including silencing the guns in the Continent; The Assembly REQUESTS the AU Commission to continue providing capacity building support to Member States in areas of legal and legislative drafting with a view to facilitating application of OAU/AU treaties;
WELCOMES the planned AU meetings and events, namely that to be hosted by Equatorial Guinea, in March 2020, under the umbrella of the PSC, to reflect on more innovative ways of enhancing action of implementing the AUMR; to be
hosted by Kenya in March/April 2020 to take stock of the implementation of the AUMR in order to lay a foundation for forging a way forward; and the Extraordinary AU Summit on Silencing the Guns, back-to-back with the Extraordinary AU Summit on AfCFTA, both to be hosted by South Africa in May 2020, to provide an opportunity for Heads of State and Government to review the implementation of the AUMR, and undertake an in-depth reflection, especially on root causes of conflicts, among others;
TAKES NOTE of the Orientation Concept Note and its matrix of activities on the Theme of the Year 2020 and STRESSES that the activities of the AUMR and the Theme of the Year 2020 need to be provided for through funding from Member States Budget, in order to achieve sustainability; In regard, the Assembly AUTHORISES the use of supplementary budget process in 2020, which passes through the relevant PRC Sub-Committees and PRC itself, to assist in providing this funding in order to ensure full implementation of the on-going activities of the AUMR and the Theme of the Year 2020;
REQUESTS the PSC, as marking the end of the AUMR in December 2020, to submit to the Assembly in January/February 2021 Summit, a comprehensive Report on the Status of the Implementation of the AUMR, taking into account of the achievements made, challenges encountered and the way forward with a view to ensuring that Africa is free from crises and conflicts.