Only a united Africa can succeed: Cyril Ramaphosa

For Africa to progress and achieve economic growth, stability and long-lasting peace, it will need to act in solidarity and with unity.

This is what President Cyril Ramaphosa told leaders at the seventh edition of the Dakar International Forum on Peace and Security on Monday.

“Conflicts and wars continue to hold Africa back from walking the road of peace and stability,” said Ramaphosa.

Speaking during a session titled “Post Covid-19 stability issues: Security challenges and new threats?” Ramaphosa said that in December last year, SA hosted the 14th AU extraordinary summit on silencing the guns in Africa.

“We resolved to extend our collective target of silencing the guns in Africa to 2030, and to continue following the 'AU Master Roadmap of Practical Steps to Silence the Guns'. This important work must continue, as AU peacekeeping operations on the continent should be supported by us all.

“We have an immense task before us as African nations.

“We have to address and overcome the developmental lags that preceded the pandemic and at the same time drive an economic recovery. This requires from us that we are innovative with our economic planning; that we should harness the potential of new sectors and industries such as the green economy and the fourth Industrial Revolution; that we forge ahead with operationalising the AfCFTA (African Continental Free Trade Area), and that we work for an end to conflict on our continent.

“Our success rests in holding fast to the principle of continental unity. Our unity must also involve peace on our continent and acting together to confront those who are spreading mayhem in our regions and continent.

“We need to forge new ways of collaboration in pursuit of a better Africa and a better world. In Southern Africa we have had to act together to enforce peace by responding collectively by forming a joint fighting force to repel the insurgents causing mayhem and death in Mozambique.

“These efforts are becoming successful and we need the international community to support our efforts because it is the duty of the international community to foster peace throughout the world. No part of the world should be left to fight this war alone,” he said.

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