African Leaders Convene In Addis Ababa Amidst Political Unrest, Regional Tension

African leaders convened a two-day summit on Saturday in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, addressing coups, conflicts, political crises, and regional tensions across the continent.

Naija News reports that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu departed Abuja for Addis Ababa in Ethiopia on Thursday to attend the 37th African Union (AU) Summit of Heads of State and Government.

The head of the African Union Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat, expressed concern about the widespread violence affecting numerous African nations and beyond before the meeting commenced.

He cited Sudan’s unrest, Somalia’s jihadist threat, ongoing tensions in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, terrorist risks in the Sahel, and persistent instability in Libya.

Faki highlighted the resurgence of military coups, pre- and post-electoral violence, and humanitarian crises due to war and climate change as serious issues during discussions with African foreign ministers on Wednesday.

A mini-summit convened to revitalize the peace process for the DRC, featuring the Congolese leader and his Rwandan counterpart, commenced on Friday alongside the main AU meetings, with plans to extend into Saturday.

However, the 55-member bloc has faced ongoing criticism for its perceived ineffectiveness and lack of decisive action in addressing various conflicts and power struggles.

The Director of the Africa program at the Egmont Royal Institute for International Relations think tank in Brussels, Nina Wilen, expressed doubt about the likelihood of significant decisions arising from the AU summit.

She noted that the pan-African body has wielded minimal influence over countries experiencing recent coups, suggesting that member states are reluctant to establish precedents that might contradict their own interests.

Niger, Gabon, Mali, Guinea, Sudan and Burkina Faso are barred from participating due to coups and political issues.

The planned discussions at the upcoming meeting will likely include the crisis in Senegal, which was triggered by President Macky Sall’s decision to postpone the elections scheduled for this month.