Please refer to the attached file.
“The security situation of the continent today is deeply marked by the metastasis of terrorism and the dangerous resurgence of unconstitutional changes of government.
Furthermore, the two phenomena establish causal links known to all. One finds its pretexts in the significance and expansion of the former, and the necessary fight against the latter produces the illusion that the second is the answer to proven failures in the fight against the first.
The security situation on the continent calls for a real approach, which should scrutinise our peace and security architecture and its correlation with the new destabilising factors in Africa. Two major questions constrain the Commission to a rather modest role in the African decision-making process. The first is the narrow reading of the concept of subsidiarity. We certainly need to clarify better the relationship of subsidiarity and complementarity between the RECs and the continental organisation. The second problem to consider is the question of sovereignty of states. This is a protective shield against all sorts of abuses occurring in a member country.
A restrictive, even dogmatic reading of the intangible principle of the sovereignty of the MS raises an iron wall against any intervention by the continental organisation, either as a preventive measure through early warning, or as a remedy when the crisis breaks out. I am aware that sovereignty is not unique to our organisation. It impacts all international and regional organisations, but its force and the restrictive readings to which it is subjected at the AU remain excessive and are detrimental to the full capacity of the organisation for initiative and action. I call for more inventiveness and creative spirit to give back to the operational organ of our Union, greater possibility of action and influence on the political future of our states, in particular when these are in real need of attention.”
Extracted from the Speech of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat, 35th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the Union, Addis Ababa, 5-6 February 2021.