The African Union is organising a national reconciliation conference for Libya in the latest effort to restore stability in the country.
The chair of the AU commission Moussa Faki Mahamat made the announcement at the end of a two-day 36th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union summit, at the African Union Headquarters in Addis Ababa on Sunday.
The Assembly is the AU’s supreme policy and decision-making organ. It comprises all Member State Heads of State and Government. The Assembly determines the AU’s policies, establishes its priorities, adopts its annual programme and monitors the implementation of its policies and decisions.
He said the AU was working with all sides to decide on a date and place for the meeting.
The United Nations said recently that Libya’s rival administrations had agreed on a mechanism to clear foreign troops and mercenaries from the country. But they have failed to come up with a timetable for their departure.
The African Union also reiterated its zero-tolerance approach to undemocratic changes of power on the continent.
On the final day of a summit in Addis Ababa, the AU said it would maintain the suspension of Burkina Faso, Guinea, Mali and Sudan – which are all ruled by military leaders following coups.
The commissioner for political affairs, Bankole Adeoye, said the AU was ready to help those countries return to constitutional order and help democracy take root.
Leaders at the summit also agreed to press ahead with plans for a free trade deal including almost every country in Africa.
The African Union theme of the year 2023 was “The Year of AfCFTA: Acceleration of the African Continental Free Trade Area Implementation.”
BCC Africa
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