Egypt spares no effort to help African countries overcome their challenges: FM Shoukry tells AU

Ahram Online , Sunday 6 Feb 2022

Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said on Saturday that Egypt spares no effort to help overcome the challenges facing the African countries to achieve the African peoples’ goals and aspirations towards a better future, a statement by the ministry said.

Egypt's Foreign Minister addressing the 35th Ordinary Session of the African Union (AU) Assembly in Addis Ababa on Saturday (photo courtesy of Foreign Ministry)

Shoukry made the comments during meetings of the 35th Ordinary Session of the African Union (AU) Assembly, which is held over two days in the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa.

The country's top diplomat reviewed Egypt’s vision and efforts to promote peace and security in Africa.

In this context, Shoukry praised the launch of the Africa Union Centre for Post-conflict Reconstruction and Development (PCRD) in Cairo in December 2021.

He noted that the centre would be the executive arm of the post-conflict reconstruction and development policy adopted by the AU.

He stressed the need for a joint action to identify the real causes behind the internal turmoil that some African countries are witnessing in light of the security and economic problems they are facing, foreign ministry spokesman Ahmed Hafez said.

Shoukry clarified that there are many commonalities in the ways of dealing with Africa’s various challenges to peace and security despite of the varying context of each conflict and hotbed of tension in the continent.

He stressed the need to strengthen the national governments’ institutional structures and formulating a clear African strategy to eliminate the threat of extremism and terrorism.

The two-day assembly of the 55 AU member states is scheduled to review various reports in three sessions: a session on Peace, Security and Governance; a session on African Citizen Well-Being: Health, Nutrition and Food Security, and a third session on Regional Integration through A Green Inclusive and Resilient Economic Recovery.

On the sidelines of the assembly, Shoukry held meetings on Saturday with various senior officials including Deputy Secretary General of the UN Amina Mohammed, UN Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Africa Vera Songwe, and Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General to the AU and Head of the United Nations Office to the AU Hanna Tetteh.

He also met with the AU Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security Bankole Adeoye, in addition to Angolan Foreign Minister Téte António.