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The Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) has expressed concern over the protracted instability in the region, saying it has negatively impacted cross-border trade and economic activities, particularly in the Great Lakes region.
COMESA Secretary-General, Chileshe Kapwepwe, said the atrocities, bloodshed, massive displacements, and humanitarian crises caused by ongoing fighting continue to escalate despite numerous peace efforts.
Kapwepwe made the remarks in Nairobi, Kenya, on Wednesday during the 20th Meeting of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs in the COMESA region.
She noted that persistent terrorist activities by al-Shabaab in Somalia have continued to undermine regional peace, security, and development.
“We cannot afford to have these violent conflicts continue as they erode the regional development efforts that we have heavily invested in in the past and prevent us from initiating new ones,” Kapwepwe stated.
She expressed particular concern about the continuing and devastating conflict in Sudan and its severe humanitarian consequences.
Kapwepwe noted that despite numerous regional and international peace initiatives for renewed negotiations, no lasting ceasefire has been achieved so far.
“As ceasefire violations, human rights abuses and destabilizing activities continue to worsen the conflict situation, we urge all involved parties to embrace dialogue as the only viable option of conflict resolution and urgently address the dire and deteriorating humanitarian situation,” she said.
Kapwepwe emphasized the need for collective and concerted efforts by member states to enhance peace, security, and stability in the region so that the agenda of regional integration and development could be fully realized.
She acknowledged that while there had been positive steps in some areas, the region had also witnessed relapses and escalations of violent conflict, threatening to erode socio-economic gains.
“As a result, there are several issues that warrant our collective attention, deliberation and putting in place the necessary workable solutions to address these matters whilst strengthening positive trends and developments,” Kapwepwe said.
She stated that, with respect to peace and security programme interventions, the COMESA Secretariat had made progress in implementing various activities aimed at enhancing early warning capabilities, addressing the structural causes of conflicts, supporting conflict prevention and management, and countering violent extremism and terrorism.
Other programmes include efforts to combat money laundering and the financing of terrorism, and contributing to post-conflict reconstruction and development initiatives.
“In addition, progress was also made in promoting youth engagement in peace and security, addressing the needs of children affected by armed conflicts as well as elections observation towards supporting the consolidation of democratic governance,” Kapwepwe stated.
She added that continued support by COMESA and the African Union Commission (AUC) towards finalizing the Zambia Country Structural Vulnerability and Resilience Assessment (CSVRA) process was another important measure undertaken.
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