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From Molly Kilete, Abuja
A two-day induction programme organised by the African Union (AU) Peace and Security Council (PSC), to address security challenges on the continent, has opened in Abuja.
The meeting, attended by members of the PSC Committee of Experts, is being hosted by the National Counter Terrorism Centre, Office of the National Security Adviser (NCTC-ONSA).
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Chairman of the PSC Committee of Experts, Victor Makwe, charged participants to give their best in carrying out their assignments in the overall interest of the continent.
According to him, “As we are gathered here, we should be mindful of the fact that we are the engine room of the PSC. We stand between the secretariat and our ambassadors.
“So, if the Peace and Security Council is going to achieve its mandate, it depends largely on those of us in this room. How much we achieve within the year also depends on us.
“Sometime in December, or even earlier because next year’s AU summit will be in January, we will begin to reflect on the activities of the Peace and Security Council.
“What will form the content of that report will be what we achieve within the year, and what the council achieves depends on each and every one of us here. Between when we went to Eswatini and now, every member present has witnessed two months of the Peace and Security Council’s activities.
“So we have practical knowledge of what has worked and perhaps what, in our opinion, is not really working and what needs to change. We are here to learn from those currently serving, those who have served, and those who have been involved by virtue of their positions.
“We will examine how the Peace and Security Council, especially at our level, operated in the past and how it is currently operating, and combine both analyses to determine how best to actualise our mandate. I advise you to make good use of these two days. These are the only two days in your entire period on the council when you can make mistakes without shame.”
