Please refer to the attached file.
My fellow Africans, I am speaking to you as the Chairperson for the Peace and Security Council of the African Union for the month of September 2020.
As you may be aware, the Summit of the Africa Union held in 2017 adopted a decision declaring the month of September, up to 2020, as the “Africa Amnesty Month for the surrender and collection of illicit weapons”.
This decision is intended to remove illicit weapons from the hands of civilians and non-state actors.
Illicit weapons are one of the biggest enemies to peace, security and development, and every effort to get rid of them should be welcomed by every peace-loving individual in our continent.
I am, therefore, appealing to everyone with an illegal weapon to hand it over to designated national authorities during this month. The AU Assembly decided that, if you do so, you will not be prosecuted.
By so doing, you will be contributing to the efforts to silence the guns in Africa. A peaceful, secure and prosperous Africa will result in advancing development of your countries. This is the desire of each country.
Let us all work together for a brighter future of our continent.