The President of the Republic: “It is only jointly, through dialogue, cooperation, and the coordination of efforts, that we can, together, triumph over violence and insecurity.”

On 5 February, the President of the Republic, His Excellency Mr. Mohamed Ould Cheikh El Ghazouani said that the report, which was presented to the Heads of State and Government and whose quality and rigor he commends, leaves no doubt about the urgent need to silence the guns and restore stability and security everywhere on the African continent to make possible a real sustainable development of Africa. In his speech before the 35th AU summit in Addis Ababa, the President of the Republic also affirmed that “it is only jointly, through dialogue, cooperation, and the coordination of efforts that we can, together, triumph over violence and insecurity to, finally, lay the foundations for real, inclusive, and sustainable development. ” Here is the full text of the speech of the President of the Republic: “Mr. President of the African Union, President of the Republic of Senegal, HE Mr. Macky Sall, Excellencies Heads of State and Government, Mr. President of the African Union Commission Moussa Faki Mahamat, Ladies and gentlemen, First, I would like to congratulate my brother and friend, His Excellency President Macky SALL, the President of the Republic of Senegal, on his election as President of our Organization. Knowing his wisdom, his leadership, and his deep commitment to the development and prosperity of Africa, I am convinced that our organization will gain, under his presidency, in efficiency and progress, on the way to achieving the objectives of the 2063 Agenda. I assure His Excellency that he will be able to count, throughout his term, on the unwavering support of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania. I also address my warmest thanks to my brother, His Excellency President Felix TSHISEKEDI, the President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, for the steadfast efforts he has deployed in the service of the interests of the African continent, in a particularly difficult global context. I also salute the incessant efforts made by the President of the Commission, His Excellency Mr. Moussa Faki Mahamat, to implement the reform of the Union, and to advance the development of the continent. I also take this opportunity to thank the government and people of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia for their warm welcome and generous hospitality. Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, The report which has just been presented to us, and whose quality and rigor I salute, leaves no doubt about the urgent need to silence the guns and restore stability and security throughout the African continent to make real sustainable development possible in Africa. It will therefore be necessary to bring more synergy to the efforts of our various States, and to improve the level of coordination between our bodies and organizations operating in terms of preservation, peace, and the fight against violence and insecurity. Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, Despite significant efforts made by the G-5 Sahel and its partners and, despite the tangible results obtained on the ground, the security situation in this area remains, to say the least, very worrying. Terrorist violence, day after day, tends to extend dangerously, well beyond the G-5 space, posing a real threat to the whole continent. Despite the shortcomings and multifaceted constraints, the G-5 Sahel remains, however, the most capable structure, potentially, to deal with terrorism in this region. Also, the African Union must, today, strengthen its support for the G-5 Sahel, particularly in the context of the difficult situations experienced by some of its Member States and which further accentuate its fragility and vulnerability. Today more than ever, the G-5 Sahel needs the support of the African Union. It is only jointly, through dialogue, cooperation, and the coordination of efforts that we can, together, triumph over violence and insecurity to, finally, lay the solid foundations for real, inclusive and sustainable development.