AU’s plans to silence Big Guns progresses

Tue, 30 Jan 2018 16:26:59 +0000

By BENNIE MUNDANDO

ZAMBIA’S commitment and participation towards the African Union (AU) Agenda 2063 flagship project of “silencing the Guns by 2020” is bearing fruit despite challenges surrounding the process, Minister of Home Affairs Stephen Kampyongo has said.

Mr Kampyongo observed that although Zambia was grappling with the issues of displaced persons from other countries, Government was still determined to ensure that peace and security prevailed at all cost.

Speaking in Ethiopia on Friday, Mr. Kampyongo said Zambia remained committed to the cause as evidenced by the slot that it had at the AU on peace and security and its membership on the Southern African Development Community Troika (SADC) on politics, peace and security.

He pointed out that the hotspots within the Great Lakes Region remained a concern in terms of conflicts considering that arms, among other weaponry tools, were not managed and regulated adding that with such developments in place, it was crucial to ensure that member states were encouraged to take stock of the arms by controlling the situation.

And commenting on this year’s theme for the 30th ordinary session of the African Union  Assembly of Heads of State and Government Summit dubbed, “winning the fight against corruption: a sustainable path to Africa’s transformation,” Mr. Kampyongo observed that when corruption took root, peace and security of member states was also compromised.

Meanwhile, Mr Kampyongo has commended President Edgar Lungu for his unwavering leadership demonstrated towards addressing the refugee situation in the country.

The minister stated that with the refugees from the Democratic Republic of Congo, President Lungu had been at the core to ensure peace prevailed in the region.