Luanda — Angolan Head of State and Chairperson of the African Union (AU), João Lourenço, stressed on Friday the need for a concerted effort to build a stable and peaceful Africa where peace and reconciliation are priorities to be permanently taken into account.
Speaking on the occasion of the commemoration of the Day of Peace and Reconciliation in Africa, which is celebrated on Friday ( Jan 31), João Lourenço noted that the date is not just a celebration, but an invitation to reflect on the challenges of peace and security that unfortunately persist on the continent.
According to the Angolan Statesman, this exercise of deep introspection brings to mind some of the imminent forerunners of freedom and independence in Africa, who knew how to synthesize the meaning of the African man, such as Nelson Mandela (South Africa) and Kwame Nkrumah (Ghana).
He emphasized that these notable figures left a lesson that must always be remembered, according to which peace and reconciliation are, at the same time, “a moral duty and a strategic necessity that we will not be able to achieve as long as we face challenges on our continent that range from coups d’état to terrorism and violent extremism”.
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For him, armed conflicts and community tensions also call into question and seriously condition the purposes of building progress, development and the well-being of all Africans.
Faced with these trials, the Angolan and acting President of the AU highlighted the need for Africans to never give up on their purposes and to remain firm and mobilized to transform vulnerabilities into strength, divisions into unity and threats into opportunities.
“United and cohesive, let us work to guarantee the operability and effectiveness of the aforementioned mechanisms, whenever it becomes necessary to make them work to ensure stability, peace and security, factors that together contribute to the relaunch of African economies and the development of our continent”, he expressed.
In President João Lourenço’s view, peace and reconciliation in Africa will be more lasting achievements whenever awareness of the relevance of understanding between all is reinforced in societies.
In this regard, he noted that the active participation of women and young people is crucial due to their great sensitivity to the consequences of conflicts, as they are generally the main victims of them.
Consequently, he considered it essential to listen to the voices of women and young people, who have a lot to convey to politicians, governments and African societies, in general, about their vision regarding conflicts and their role in finding solutions to these problems, for which the continent has the Pan-African Forum for the Culture of Peace and Non-Violence in Africa.
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According to the Angolan Statesman, the also known Luanda Biennial will take place in its fourth edition next October, during which it is expected to be able to count on the active participation of the aforementioned segments of the population, as they have a central role in the contribution they can make to the peaceful resolution of the disputes that the continent is still struggling with.
He recognized that the Luanda Biennale, jointly organized by the Angolan Government, the African Union and UNESCO, is more than an event, it is a space where young people can express their aspirations and women can share their experiences of mediation and reconstruction.
The Day of Peace and Reconciliation in Africa is celebrated annually on January 31st. Established by the African Union (AU), in May 2022, the date aims to promote a culture of peace, stability and development, focusing on conflict resolution and social cohesion.
