The Secretary General of the UN says the country’s partnership with the continent to promote peace and security has grown in multiple ways.
The People’s Republic of China has been hailed for promoting peace and security on the African continent.
The efforts of the country in this regard were highlighted in UNSG Antonio Guterres’s message, delivered by his Chief of Cabinet, Maria Luiza Ribeiro Viotti, during a ministerial meeting on cooperation between China and Africa on matters before the Security Council. The meeting was held on September 26 on the sidelines of the 74th General Assembly of the UN in New York,USA.
According to the UN scribe, China has increased its peacekeeping deployments to Africa, and peace and security on the continent was a priority during China’s presidency of the Security Council last November, with special emphasis on enhancing African capacities.
Noting that African countries currently make up the largest regional group contributing troops and police officers to United Nations peacekeeping operations, Guterres holds that China’s support to countries making these contributions represent a direct contribution to the Secretary-General’s 2018 Action for Peacekeeping initiative.
He cited the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan as countries where results of Chinese support are visible.
Still on cooperation in peacekeeping in the continent, he stated; “Africa, China and the United Nations are also cooperating on a number of specific situations before the Security Council. The United Nations is partnering with the African Union and the continent’s sub-regional organizations on mediation efforts in the Central African Republic, Madagascar, Sudan, South Sudan and Guinea-Bissau. In Mali, 421 Chinese military personnel serve in MINUSMA, one of our most challenging peacekeeping operations.”
Meanwhile, in a UN Security Council meeting on peacekeeping in Africa convened by Russia same day, the UNSG’s Chief of Cabinet told member states that the United Nations and the African Union have also strengthened their partnership with the signing of two joint frameworks by the Secretary-General and the Chairperson of the African Union on peace and security and on sustainable development.
He emphasized the continent’s pursuit for self-reliance and cooperation. To this end, he said the AU’s determination is evidenced in among other things,the fact that the organization’s Peace Fund has so far secured $124million, an amount said to be the highest level of assessed contributions since the establishment of the Fund in 1993.
Mbom Sixtus on assignment in New York,USA
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