Brussels, 08/04/2016 (Agence Europe) - On Thursday 7 April, the European Union and African Union (AU) confirmed their resolve to strengthen their partnership for peace, stability and security, and their resolve to ensure that the sustainability of financial resources for this ambition of the African continent is guaranteed in the medium and long-term. They therefore called for contributions from international donors.
Africa's stability and security was one of many subjects addressed by the EU and AU Commission at their 8th joint annual meeting, which was held in Addis Ababa - the AU headquarters (see EUROPE 11525).
The meeting, co-chaired by AU chairperson Nkosazana C. Dlamini Zuma and High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini, enabled both parties to cast a wide over the joint strategy that has united the two continents since 2007. In Mogherini's view, the meeting provides “an opportunity to carry forward the good work we have started over the last year, on the many shared interests where only strong cooperation between Europe and Africa can bring benefits to the both of us - from managing migration to security and the fight against terrorism, from climate change to economic development, from energy to human rights. And of course, we cannot overlook the continent's crises and conflicts, which the European Union and the African Union are tackling together”.
In their joint press release, both parties underline their determination to continue their cooperation towards the African Peace and Security Architecture (APSA) and the development of African capacity - particularly in operations to support peace and the fight against terrorism. The parties hail the EU Commission's decision to contribute to the financing of the Multi-National Joint Task Force (MNJTF) against Boko Haram. They also commit to stepping up their collaboration in the fight against the multiplying factors of threat (climate change, and extreme weather).
Zuma told press that she hailed the quality of the EU-AU cooperation “since the establishment of the APSA” and she mentioned the EU Facility for peace in Africa. Mogherini said that there are more and more threats from terrorism and radicalisation, and different challenges for the peace and security of citizens and societies both in Europe and in Africa. She added that they were working very hard on how to develop instruments to address this challenge jointly, and said that there was a need to tackle these problems “not only from the security angle but also from the education angle, from the social angle and from the angle of creating jobs”. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)