The African Union has issued a firm warning against military coups across the continent, emphasizing the need to uphold peace and democracy to foster development.
Ahead of the 2nd AU Reflection Forum on Unconstitutional Changes of Government scheduled for March 18, 2024, Bankole Adeoye, the African Union’s Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace, and Security, underscored the need to maintain peace and democracy across the continent to propel the needed development.
“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 organised crime and poverty and to address this, we must all frontally and robustly defend democracy.
“It is necessary to restate that democracy, with its shortcomings, remains the best form of governance and we have always asked why. It is inclusive and we all have a role to play in safeguarding democracy and all of us in Africa must rally for democracy.”
Commissioner Adeoye made reference to the 2022 Accra Declaration, which was endorsed by African heads of state to help defend democracy and restore constitutional rule in countries led by military juntas and indicated military takeovers will not be tolerated.
“The new trend posed by military rulers to return our continent to its past will not be tolerated and accepted and that is why 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.”