Africa Needs to Utilize Huge Potentials To Become Among Major Economic Powers: AU Chairperson

Current Chairperson of the AU and President of the Union of the Comoros, Azali Assoumani, stressed the need for exploiting human potential and huge natural resources in Africa and become one of the major economic powers in the world.

The African continent observed today the 60th anniversary of the Organization of African Unity (OAU) and its successor, the African Union (AU) at the headquarters of the union in Addis Ababa.

Speaking on the occasion, Assoumani said that Africa has the capacity to put an end to all crises in the socio-economic development of Africa.

“Our continent has a lot of human potential and huge natural resources that will make the continent one of the major economic powers in the world. We have the capacity but also the obligation to put an end to the crisis of all types faced by the continent in order to sneeringly endeavor to the socio-economic development of Africa.”

The AU chairperson underscored let us see these precious opportunities afforded to us and use our talents, experience and expertise of Africa in order to improve our image.

Speaking on the six decades of journey of the African Union, the chairperson said that the organization has achieved tremendous results.

Therefore, he gave the example of the OAU by attending two major objectives in a very difficult historical context such as the conclusion of the decolonization of Africa and an end to apartheid in South Africa.

However, Assoumani stressed the need for the African generations to learn lessons from our mistakes in order to better prepare their future and offer more promising prospects to the continent.

According to him, African countries have been still facing different major challenges.

“The unconstitutional changes of power have been increasing over the past years, the internal intra African conflict also, terrorism continues to prevail, and consequently, peace, democracy and government of our continent are all threatened in our various regions of our continent.”

Thus, Africa needs to ponder together on the action in order to eradicate poverty, which affects the major part of the population, which is, in fact, an open door for tourism on our continent.

“We should do everything to restore and build the confidence in our continent and develop our potential in all different areas,” the chairperson underscored.

He also gave clues to the imperative need for the African Union to become a member of the G20.

“I have had positive feedback on this matter when I participated in the G-7 summit which has just been held in Japan. It is through this permanent presence that our organization the African Union will have the possibility of giving its views and particularly, on the major economic and financial decisions concerning the continent.”

As chairman of the African Union, Assoumani pledged to press for the reform of the UN that will enable our continent to have permanent seats at the Security Council.

And this should put an end to injustice which has always been inflicted on the continent, he indicated.

Source: Ethiopian News Agency