South African Foreign Minister Talks Peaceful Resolutions for Continent

Minister for International Relations and Cooperation of the Republic of South Africa, Maite Nkoana-Mashabane, speaks to journalists at United Nations headquarters following her country's election to the Security Council., a photo by Pan-African News Wire File Photos on Flickr.

Nkoana-Mashabane talks peaceful resolutions for Africa

Friday 26 April 2013 06:52
Sherwin Bryce-Pease

The African continent is now better equipped to address challenges as they come, says Maite Nkoana-Mashabane. (SABC)

plomat says Africa is rising and that the time has come to nip pockets of conflict in the bud.

International Relations and Cooperation Minister, Maite Nkoana-Mashabane was addressing the General Assembly in New York during a thematic debate on the peaceful resolution of conflicts in Africa.

Nkoana-Mashabane emphasised that as the continent moved away from the issue of decolonisation, the need to reinforce democratic and governance institutions in addition to economic development was needed to realise the African Renaissance. She says there is broad consensus.

“On a continent that is today better equipped to address challenges as they present themselves. Now we know what we are dealing with, that there are still some intra and transnational conflicts in some pockets of the continent. But it’s not like out of the 54 this is a prevalent occurrence. We need to nip in the bud these pockets of instability, of insecurity, of some mutiny in the armies that turn into rebellion that then come through the back door to negotiate power with democratically elected governments”.

Nkoana-Mashabane says there’s a need to redefine the instruments that deal with unconstitutional changes of government that discourage an emerging pattern of illegitimate rebellions.

“The majority of African current conflicts in Africa can be classified as intra-state, and trans-national. This is linked to the need to reinforce democratic and governance institutions as well as economic development, which is a vital component of conflict prevention and resolution”.

We need instruments like activating an intervention brigade, that’s responsive, that happens and takes place here and now
Nkoana-Mashabane veered clear of mentioning recent developments in the Central African Republic, saying she wanted to stay on topic and that her government’s position was clearly articulated in the public domain. She also called for a 2003 plan for an intervention standby force in Africa to be implemented without further delay.

“We need instruments like activating an intervention brigade, that’s responsive, that happens and takes place here and now. So that when our relatives from somewhere come to support us, they find that we ourselves have started responding".

She also says that it does take a bit long if we wait for regional bodies on their own deal with the challenges that are beyond the regional perspective.

A matter expected to be taken up when the African Union heads of state meet on the occasion of the organisations 50th anniversary in Addis Ababa next month.