Addis Ababa — The Angolan ambassador to Ethiopia and Permanent Representative to the African Union (AU) and Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), Arcanjo do Nascimento, alerted the A.U Peace and Security Council (PCS) on the need for keeping necessary surveillance to avoid occurrence of new genocides in the continent.
This was suggested last Thursday by the Angolan diplomat, who was addressing the 761st PCS session, which Angola joined since it was elected for the third time during the 30th Ordinary Session of Heads of State and Government of the African union held in Addis Ababa on January 28-29 of the year 2018.
In this first session of the month of April, held under the presidency of Nigeria, the agenda included discussions on the prevention of the ideology of hatred, genocide and hate crime, as well as the preparation for a PCS visit to South Sudan and approval of a programme for May.
In order to prevent new occurrence of genocide, the Angolan diplomat suggested the activation of the Early Warning Mechanism of prevention, adding that other step that can be taken in this regard is the ratification of the universal legal tools to tackle genocides and accountability of those who undertake this kind of action.
In the meantime, Arcanjo do Nascimento regretted the fact that there is still the risk of genocide in the continent.
The Angolan official also questioned the UN Secretary-General’s Special Adviser for the Prevention of Genocide, Adama Dieng, on the measures set to be undertaken for the resolution of the South Sudan issue.
However, he expressed the solidarity of the Angolan people to Rwandans for the tough time they went through just over two decades ago and congratulated them for the way the matter was sorted out, which helped that country to restore peace and consolidate its national reconciliation process.
Angola is to take up the rotational chair of the PCS in September 2018.
PRIVACY & SURVEILLANCE IN AFRICA 