Democratic Republic of Congo's President Felix Tshisekedi attends the 32nd African Union (AU) summit in Addis Ababa on Feb 10, 2019. (SIMON MAINA / AFP)
Africa's top political grouping has vowed that no country will be left behind in the continent's collective response to the coronavirus pandemic.
Leaders of the African Union, meeting via video link over the weekend, made commitments to ensure that all members of the bloc are part of an African effort against the coronavirus, especially for the distribution of vaccines.
The key pledges were made on Saturday, during the assembly of heads of state and government for the 34th African Union summit. The event ended on Sunday.
It is imperative that African Union can strengthen the African Centre for Disease Control and Prevention in order to respond effectively to emergencies and complex health challenges, as a specialized technical institution of the African Union.
Felix Tshisekedi, president of the Democratic Republic of Congo and incoming chairman of the African Union
At the meeting, the union committed to strengthen the collective response to the COVID-19 crisis, marshaling resources for the benefit of all.
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Felix Tshisekedi, the president of the Democratic Republic of Congo, was selected as the incoming chairman of the African Union, taking over from Cyril Ramaphosa, South Africa's president. Tshisekedi applauded the ingenuity and resilience shown by African countries in the fight against the pandemic.
"Let us organize together, with our international partners, for a great offensive against these various scourges," Tshisekedi said. "It is imperative that our organization can strengthen the African Centre for Disease Control and Prevention in order to respond effectively to emergencies and complex health challenges, as a specialized technical institution of the African Union."
Action plan
While highlighting his plan of action during his mandate as chair of the union, Tshisekedi said the African Union can work with the continent's regional economic communities to strengthen peace and security. He said the bloc can also help to ensure the success of the African Continental Free Trade Area, which started last month. Additionally, it can promote a renaissance of African culture, arts and heritage.
"It is from this perspective that I intend to anchor the theme of my chairmanship of the African Union in the following vision, an African Union at the service of the peoples," Tshisekedi said. "My Vision is to see an African Union at the service of the African peoples."
"I promise that with the support of every one of you, we will take our organization out from the conference rooms, the hard drives of our computers and the well-crafted files of our secretariats, into the classrooms, the refugee camps, the markets of our cities and in the fields of our respective villages."
Ramaphosa highlighted the African Union's establishment of a COVID-19 response fund to raise resources for a continental vaccination response. He thanked African countries for being the first contributors to the fund.
"We established the groundbreaking Africa medical supplies platform to assist AU member states to access affordable medical supplies and equipment," Ramaphosa said.
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"In establishing this platform, we have given practical meaning to the mantra we often repeat, that we are committed to developing African solutions to African problems."
