The President of the Pan-African Parliament (PAP), His Excellency, Chief Fortune Zephania Charumbira, has called for harmonisation of effort by the African Union and other stakeholders involved in mediating the conflict in Sudan if the conflict is to come to an end.
Speaking at the Political Meeting of the AGA-APSA Platform held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on Tuesday 11th February 2025, under the theme “Sudan’s costly war towards a peaceful resolution: How can relevant AU organs/institutions/RECs/RMs improve co-ordinated intervention”,H.E. Chief Charumbira decried the fragmented efforts by the African Union and other stakeholders which are hampering efforts to resolve the crisis. He stated that, “this high-level intervention is established today and another mushrooms tomorrow and some of them even work at cross-purposes. These efforts need to be co-ordinated through a structured governance framework if they are to bring meaningful results.”
In an impassioned delivery that mirrored the PAP’s President’s frustration with the failure of various intervention efforts in Sudan and other areas of conflict on the continent, H.E. Chief Charumbira noted that one of the major challenges to the resolution of the conflict is external interference. He implored the Union to bite the bullet and directly approach the external players fuelling the Sudanese conflict as these are well known.
The PAP President also pointed out that the PAP is being sidelined in peace keeping efforts by the African Union yet Article 3(5) of the PAP Protocol enjoins the PAP to “Promote peace, security and stability on the continent.” Despite being left out of these interventions, PAP had taken the initiative to give a platform to Sudanese people to express themselves on the current crisis, including Sudanese refugees resident in South Africa who have been displaced by the conflict.
The PAP President underscored that the Parliament could play an instrumental role in conflict resolution and peace keeping efforts on the continent through Parliamentary Diplomacy and called on the African Union Commission to include all the relevant Organs in the intervention efforts.
H.E. Chief Charumbira is leading the Bureau of the Pan-African Parliament in attending pre-session meetings ahead of the 46th Ordinary Session of the Executive Council scheduled for 12th to 13th February 2025 and the 38th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government set for 15th and 16th February 2025. The 38th African Union Summit will focus on Reparatory Justice and Racial Healing Under the Theme: “Justice for Africans and People of African Descent Through Reparations.” Senior leadership elections will also be a key highlight of the Summit.
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