The African Union (AU) has taken a clear stand against military takeovers and reaffirmed its commitment to peace, democracy and prosperity throughout the continent.
Bankole Adeoye, the African Union’s Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace, and Security, emphasized the imperative of preserving peace and democracy in Africa ahead of the 2nd AU Reflection Forum on Unconstitutional Changes of Government scheduled for March 18, 2024.
“Over the past ten years, the African Union has continued through our leaders to champion democracy, constitutionalism, the rule of law, as well as sustainable development, but the multiplicity of challenges remains terrorism, violent extremism, transnational organized crime, and poverty and to address this, we must all frontally and robustly defend democracy,” Adeoye stated.
He reiterated the significance of democracy, citing its inclusive nature and calling upon all Africans to unite to safeguard it.
Referring to the 2022 Accra Declaration endorsed by African heads of state, Adeoye highlighted the AU’s firm stance against military takeovers. “The new trend posed by military rulers to return our continent to its past will not be tolerated and accepted,” he declared.
Drafted in March 2022, the Accra Declaration is evidence of the African Union’s determination to protect democracy and reinstate constitutional governance in countries under military juntas.
“The African Union in March 2022 decided to come to Accra to rally all actors to defend and uphold democracy. So in 2022, we came up with the Accra Declaration, which was endorsed by our heads of state,” Adeoye added.
The AU’s unequivocal message comes as a stern warning to any attempts to subvert democratic processes through military means. With the upcoming Reflection Forum, the AU aims to reinforce its stance and mobilize stakeholders to protect democracy and promote stability across Africa.
