By King’s Office Correspondents
ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA – United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres has assured African leaders that he will do everything within his power to ensure that the 2005 Ezulwini Consensus becomes a reality.
The UN Secretary General was speaking at the 38th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the Heads of State and Government held at the iconic Mandela Hall at the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa.
The Ezulwini Consensus became the common African position on the United Nations Security Council reform, which was adopted by all AU member States calling for the allocation of two seats in the permanent category with all its prerogatives and privileges including the Veto power and two additional seats in non-permanent category of the council.
Guterres said it remains a shame that the world continues to be unequal, and the African continent’s call for the UNSC reforms continues to be ignored.
“I will do everything within my power whilst still serving as the Secretary General of the UN to ensure that the reforms happen and that Africa has two permanent seats with veto powers,” he said.
Currently there are five permanent members of the UN Security Council and are the United States of America, Russia, China, France and the United Kingdom.
The SG said the conflicts in Sudan, the brutal violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Somali and the Sahel region undermines peace and stability of the continent.
He said the ongoing wars in those countries must stop immediately and dialogue must be prioritise, since there would be no military solution.
The UN SG further expressed his concern with the war between Isreal and Palestine in Gaza, in the West Bank, classifying it as genocide. He said peace must be restored in Gaza beyond just the ongoing ceasefire agreement.
He praised the role played by outgoing African Union Commission Chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat for his commitment to the spirit of multiralism and fighting for the continent to be heard and recognised in global platforms.
The said Africa is booming with potential given its youthful population and the benefits to be brought about the African Continental Free Trade Agreement.
He decried though the unfairness of the developed countries who make African countries to pay 20 times more the cost of lending.
“I promise to stand with Africa in re-writing the historical wrongs. African minerals must benefit Africa.
“We continue to make calls for the full implementation of the Paris Agreement when it comes to climate change. We expect climate finance to flow to the African continent because they are not responsible for the damage they currently suffer,” he said.
In closing Guterres urged Africa to make good use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) saying when used correctly has the potential to transform it quicker.
He congratulated the incoming Chairman of the African Union, Angola’s President Joao Laurenco and wished him luck.
President Jose takes over from Mauritania’s Mohamed Ould Ghazouani.
Other speakers at the opening of the Assembly were Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, the outgoing AUC Chairperson Faki Mohamat, Palestine’s leader Mahmoud Abbas, Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley and President of Ghana John Mahama to mention just a few.
His Majesty King Mswati III was to make his interventions later during the course of the meeting.
HOW VILAKATI AVOIDED MEDIA, USED TOGOLESE ‘GALAJANE’ TO WIN AU NOD.
ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA— Newly elected Commissioner for the African Union Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy and Sustainable environment, Moses Vilakati, had no easy road to the position.
It required passing through five rounds of vigorous examinations and embarking on a campaign trail with a Togolese galajane (campaign manager) to help penetrate and win over the votes from West Africa, where he (Vilakati) was little known.
His strategy also entailed avoiding the media to thwart any potential attempts to undermine his campaign. “This is why I kept away from you, the media, and worked behind the scenes, which helped tremendously as they could not keep track of my moves,” he disclosed.
Interviewed at the 38th African Union Ordinary Summit yesterday, Vilakati was full of praise for the support he received from His Majesty the King, Indlovukazi, government, as well as numerous supporters.
He unpacked the steps leading to his election as a Commissioner for the African Union Commission. This included sitting for examinations that had a 90 per cent pass mark for one to proceed to the next stage. Among the candidates were professors and doctorate degree holders.
He said once he had made it through the test phases, he was among the candidates to be placed in the ballot box for AU member countries to pick their choice. As with all elections, this required extensive campaigning and lobbying.
“I wish to thank all the companies and people who provided various forms of assistance to enable me to travel across the continent to mobile support. I am unable to disclose the exact cost as I have not yet tallied the expenses. However, this experience has highlighted the necessity of establishing a dedicated account to support future candidates seeking similar positions, as the lack of sufficient funds is a hindrance.
Vilakati specifically thanked Lambert Nyatane from Togo, who possesses extensive knowledge of the Western African region, for facilitating his meeting with the individuals whose votes held the most significance.
“The role he played is immeasurable. I don’t think I would have achieved the Western Africa votes if it were not for him. He is someone who knows the presidents and prime ministers of this region and helped arrange meetings with them.”
“I was surprised when meeting some of the leaders who expressed their love for the King, saying they know him as a leader with no enemies. They also marvel at the King’s ability to maintain a strong culture, which is slowly diminishing in their countries. They want him to come and share his secret with them,” he narrated.
In terms of the job profile, Vilakati explained that it is not a role of ‘AU minister for agriculture.’. He said it involves agriculture, community development, fish farming (blue economy), and a sustainable environment.
So what are the expectations of the position? To be considered successful, Vilakati and his team should significantly improve food self-sufficiency on the continent and reduce food imports.
“Africa spends about US$100 billion annually on food imports of all kinds. What we need to do is reach a stage where this food is produced in Africa. The COVID pandemic, which halted imports, taught us many valuable lessons. Then there was the war in Ukraine, which is the source of our wheat. We ran out of essential food that could be grown on the continent,” he explained. He believes that with strong support from financial institutions and the adoption of modern farming techniques like tunnel farming, we can mitigate the effects of climate change and prevent damage to the crops.
“We have the land, the water and the people to make this happen, so the goal is achievable,” he said.
