AU Summit: Burundian, Libyan crises under discussion

Heads of State of the continent are expected at term to seek lasting solutions to the worries.

African Heads of State to meet in Johannesburg, South Africa next Sunday June 14, 2015 within the framework of the 2015 African Union Summit will among others discuss conflicts raging in Burundi, South Sudan, Mali, Libya and Nigeria, and other countries. Analysts say the continental body has made some strides in dealing with conflict, but needs to do more.

The summit in its 25th edition is holding on the theme, “Year of Women Empowerment and Development towards Africa’s Agenda 2063” This is in view of attaining the African Union’s vision of “An Integrated, prosperous and peaceful Africa, driven by its own citizens and representing a dynamic force in the global arena.”

Political crisis in Burundi centered on whether or not the current President, Pierre Nkurunziza should stand for another term in the upcoming elections is expected to take centre stage in the discussions.

Although Pierre Nkurunziza has issued a decree to delay the presidential election to July 15, 2015 from June 26, 2015 after six weeks of protests triggered by his bid for a third term, his opponents say the re-election bid violates the constitution and a peace deal that ended a civil war in 2005 that pitted rebel groups of the Hutu majority, including one led by Nkurunziza, against the army, then led by minority Tutsis.

A month and a half of protests have plunged the nation into its deepest crisis for a decade, alarming a region with a history of ethnic conflict, particularly next door Rwanda, which has the same ethnic mix and suffered from the 1994 genocide. The AU Johannesburg summit is expected not only to discuss the crisis but also to come up with concrete solutions to the current stalemate that is leaving untold damages to the country’s socio-economic life.

Meanwhile, another country whose crisis will be tabled for scrutiny will be Libya. Hopes for a peace deal to end Libya’s chronic instability hit another stumbling block Tuesday with the country’s rival governments bickering over a UN draft plan to form a unity government.

The Heads of State summit comes after meetings of experts. This was notably the 30th Ordinary Session of the Permanent Representatives Committee which held from June 7-8, 2015 and the 27th Ordinary Session of the Executive Council which held at the Sandton International Conference Center (ICC), Johannesburg, SA from Wednesday 10 to Friday 12 June 2015.