How will the AU Silence the Guns?

This seminar considers the recent AU summit decisions and whether they can help reduce conflict in Africa.

The African Union’s (AU) initial deadline for silencing the guns in Africa was 2020 – a fact that must have been on the minds of those gathered at the 33rd AU summit from 6-10 February. Considering that there is no peace in Libya, South Sudan, the Central African Republic, and the Sahel, among others, did Africa’s leaders take decisions that could make a difference and reduce conflict?

The election of 10 new Peace and Security Council members, AU reforms and the African Continental Free Trade Area were also on the summit’s agenda.

The seminar will discuss key summit outcomes in light of the AU’s 2020 theme: ‘Silencing the guns: creating conducive conditions for Africa’s development’.

This event is co-hosted with the Institute for Peace and Security Studies (IPSS), Addis Ababa

Chair: Dr Yonas Adeto Adaye, Director, Institute for Peace and Security Studies (IPSS), Addis Ababa

Speakers: 

Amb Xolisa Makaya, South African Ambassador to Ethiopia and the AU

Liesl Louw-Vaudran, Senior Researcher, ISS Pretoria

Dr Mohamed M Diatta, Researcher, ISS Addis Ababa

Picture: Wikimedia Commons

Development partners
This event is funded by the government of Denmark. The ISS is also grateful for support from the members of the ISS Partnership Forum: the Hanns Seidel Foundation, the European Union and the governments of Australia, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Ireland, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and the USA.
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