18th August 2023 10:36:00 AM
3 mins readCommissioner Political Affairs, Peace & Security of the Economic Community of West African State (ECOWAS), Ambassador Abdel-Fatau Musah, has dismissed reports that the African Union is not in support of the measures being put in place to restore democratic governance in Niger.
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The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has indicated that a significant number of its member nations are prepared to engage in a standby force, which could potentially intervene in Niger following a coup that transpired there at the end of the previous month.This measure, according to reports, has been condemned by the African Union.
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But engaging JoyNews on the sidelines of a strategic meeting organised by the sub-regional body ECOWAS in Accra on Thursday, Ambassador Abdel-Fatau Musah noted that the African Union has given its backing to ECOWAS.According to him, a communiqué to that effect is yet to be made public by the Union."Has anybody read the communiqué of the African Union Peace and Security Council. I was there. I participated.
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Of course, when you have a situation like this, you are going to have different opinions. What matters is what comes out of the communiqué. So everybody should wait for the communiqué, and you'd realize that the African Union Peace and Security Council supports all the measures being taken by ECOWAS to restore constitutional order.""They have condemned it, and many of them are even calling for the suspension of Niger," he added.
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The Peace & Security CouncilThe Peace and Security Council (PSC) is the standing decision-making organ of the AU for the prevention, management and resolution of conflicts. It is a collective security and early warning arrangement intended to facilitate timely and efficient responses to conflict and crisis situations in Africa.
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It is also the key pillar of the African Peace and Security Architecture (APSA), which is the framework for promoting peace, security and stability in Africa.The Protocol Relating to the Establishment of the Peace and Security Council was adopted on 9 July 2002 in Durban, South Africa, and entered into force in December 2003. The PSC became fully operational in early 2004.
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The PSC Protocol, together with the PSC Rules of Procedure, the AU Constitutive Act and the conclusions of various PSC retreats, provide operational guidance to PSC activities.
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The powers of the PSC, in conjunction with the Chairperson of the AU Commission, include to:Anticipate and prevent disputes and conflicts, as well as policies, which may lead to genocide and crimes against humanityUndertake peace-making and peacebuilding functions to resolve conflicts where they have occurredAuthorise the mounting and deployment of peace support missions, and lay down general guidelines for the conduct of such missions including
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the mandateRecommend to the Assembly, pursuant to article 4(h) of the AU Constitutive Act, intervention, on behalf of the Union, in a Member State in respect of grave circumstances, namely, war crimes, genocide and crimes against humanity as defined in relevant international instrumentsInstitute sanctions whenever an unconstitutional change of government takes place in a Member StateImplement the AU’s common defence policyEnsure implementation
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of key conventions and instruments to combat international terrorismPromote harmonisation and coordination of efforts between the regional mechanisms and the AU in the promotion of peace, security and stability in AfricaFollow-up promotion of democratic practices, good governance, the rule of law, protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms, and respect for the sanctity of human life and international humanitarian lawPromote and encourage
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the implementation of conventions and treaties on arms control and disarmamentExamine and take action in situations where the national independence and sovereignty of a Member State is threatened by acts of aggression, including by mercenariesSupport and facilitate humanitarian action in situations of armed conflicts or major natural disasters.
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