Seven years ago, member states of the African Union gathered in Addis Ababa- Ethiopia to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the organisations’ founding. It is also at that gathering in 2013 that representatives from across the continent singled out armed conflict as the biggest barrier to development on the continent.
The African Union then vowed to “Silence the Guns” of armed conflict by the year 2020. It is now 2020 but the guns have not yet fully fallen silent; and the African Union is now taking stock. Leaders from across the continent once again assembled in Ethiopia this week to review the journey that started 7 years ago.
So since 2013, have gains been made in Africa’s call to end violent conflict? And what new moves will the AU need to make for a conflict free continent beyond 2020?
