Paul Biya suggests immediate response to African crises

The Head of State in his presentation on peace and security underscored the fact that security threats are global and require global responses.

If there is one important element of fact that the Heads of State and Government left with from the 23rd African Union Summit that took place in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea from 26 to 27 June, it is the proposal made by President Paul Biya in his presentation on peace and security problems in Africa.

After x-raying the various security threats in the continent, many of which cut across country boundaries and sizing the socio-economic, political and diplomatic repercussions on African countries, President Paul Biya did not hesitate to point out and as a matter of fact, propose that urgent responses be made and scaled to the dangers thereof.

According to the Cameroonian leaders, the African Standby Force, an international, continental Africa and multidisciplinary peacekeeping force with military, police and civilian contingents earmarked for deployment in times of crisis in Africa must cease to wait in the face of such crises and the African Capacity for Immediate response to Crises, a temporary multinational African Interventionist Standby Force should go operational without delay.

Even though the threats seem to take different dimensions, there is one underlining factor which is wanton kidnappings, assassinations, and looting.

These suggestions from every indication threaded through the discussion on the political, security and humanitarian situation in the Central African Republic.

In the evaluation meeting which President Biya participated actively with other Heads of State and Governments of the Economic Commission for Central African States (ECCAS), the Secretariat General of the United Nations, the African Union Commission and the Secretariat of ECCAS were urged to put in place, as a matter of emergency and with the support of facilitators, an international mediator under the auspices of ECCAS President, Denis Sassou Nguesso.

The mediator will have as mission to help the Central African Republic regain dialogue in its transition and quest for peace.

Organised under the theme; “Agriculture and Food Security”, the Malabo AU Summit was occasion for Heads of State and Governments to identify ways and means of boosting production to the level of significantly reducing massive food importation into the continent.

Some of the key issues raised tie squarely with President Biya’s agric programme under execution in the country, notably mechanisation, one of the major components of second generation agriculture.

Apart from his active participation in the deliberations of the summit, the Head of State equally used the occasion to have bilateral talks with President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo of Equatorial Guinea and President Thomas Boni Yayi of Benin among others.