President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has advised African Union (AU) member states to strive to uphold their respective national constitutions and adhere to the presidential term limits in line with the rule of law to engender political stability and democratic governance.
The manipulation of democratic processes, including tampering with electoral laws, constitutional provisions and term limits to benefit at the expense of democratic norms and principles, as President Akufo-Addo emphasized, ought not to be entertained.
President Nana Akufo-Addo said these in his address at the Second AU Reflection Forum on Unconstitutional Changes of Government (UCGs), in Accra, on the theme “Robust Response, Deepening Democracy, Sustainable Security.”
President Akufo-Addo expressed unequivocal condemnation of any ascent to power that was outside constitutional provisions and inimical to democratic norms. The Accra Declaration, he noted, affirmed the continent’s collective commitment to the principles of zero tolerance for coup d’etats.“When we gathered here two years ago, four members of our Union had been suspended due to their unconstitutional changes of governments in their territories. “Today, two years later, the situation has worsened. As we gather here, six Union member states have been suspended for the same reasons. “This is an extraordinary occurrence in our efforts to safeguard democracy in Africa,” he noted.
On the relevance of the forum, the president urged the participants to take the discussions seriously since democratic governance and the rule of law are cardinal factors in enhancing prosperity and development.
Ambassador Emilia Ndinelao Mkusa, the Chairperson of the African Union (AU) Peace and Security Council for March 2024, expressed grave concern over the resurgence of military takeovers in Africa and urged African leaders to intensify efforts at addressing the root causes of the coup d’etats.
She, thus, urged African leaders to strictly adhere to the tenets of democracy and respect the concerns of the citizens.
She called on African leaders to sharpen the governance structures at the national level to empower citizens economically and create employment opportunities for the youth.
Ms. Damilien Larbi Tchintchibidja, the Vice Chairperson of the ECOWAS Commission, noted that the lack of inclusivity in key decision-making was leading to the resurgence of military takeovers in Africa.
She urged African leaders to respect democratic principles and give a free hand to the judiciary and legislative arms of government to work effectively.
Africa has witnessed six military takeovers since 2022, with several abortive coups. The AU has since suspended the military juntas of those countries from its activities and imposed various sanctions on them.
The Accra Forum II underscores the Union’s commitment to upholding democratic principles and ensuring sustainable security in Africa.
