Addis Ababa, Ethiopia – The 48th session of the African Union Executive Council resumed Thursday in the Ethiopian capital, with participation from Algerian Minister of State, Minister of Foreign Affairs, National Community Abroad and African Affairs, Ahmed Attaf. Attaf is attending on assignment from President Abdelmadjid Tebboune.
The resumption of the Executive Council proceedings comes as foreign ministers from member states convene in a closed session, preparing for the 39th Ordinary Summit of the Union scheduled for February 14 and 15 in Addis Ababa. The summit will address key challenges facing the continent and the Executive Council is laying the groundwork for productive discussions.
Since Wednesday, African ministers have been examining a range of issues related to the role of joint African action in addressing political, security, and developmental challenges, including escalating conflicts and the growing water crisis. A series of reports from specialized presidential committees will be presented and adopted during Thursday’s meeting.
Recommendations and decisions concerning political, security, and economic matters will then be submitted to the African Summit for approval. The decisions made at the summit are expected to shape the continent’s approach to these critical issues in the coming year.
In his opening remarks Wednesday, African Union Commission President Ali Mahmoud Youssouf warned of the continued threat of terrorism in the Sahel and Horn of Africa regions. He likewise emphasized the need for more effective tools and approaches to address tensions across the continent.
During the review of the report from the Committee of Permanent Representatives (COREP), Ahmed Attaf reaffirmed Algeria’s support for any effort to strengthen the African Union and move away from inward-looking policies. “Algeria supports any effort to strengthen and move our organization away from the logic of self-reliance,” he said, “to further establish its presence at the continental and international levels, and to enable it to address current challenges, whether continental or global, with realism and responsibility.”
(APS)
