Chinese envoy stresses Africa's leading role in its own peace and security

Liu Yuxi (C, Front), special representative of the Chinese government on African affairs, speaks at a high-level open debate of the Security Council at the UN headquarters in New York, on March 30, 2023. (Xinhua/Xie E)

It is important to support Africa's leading role in its own peace and security. Africans know Africa best, and African countries are core forces for maintaining their own peace and security, said a Chinese envoy.

UNITED NATIONS, March 30 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese envoy on Thursday called on the international community to support Africa's leading role in its own peace and security in a high-level open debate of the Security Council on the impact of development policy on the implementation of Africa's Silencing the Guns initiative.

Africa is a rising continent, a fertile land of hope brimming with vigor and vitality. Without peace and development in Africa, there will be no stability and prosperity in the world, said Liu Yuxi, special representative of the Chinese government on African affairs.

Under the current circumstances, the Security Council needs to give serious thought to questions such as how to strengthen international coordination to better help Africa meet its challenges, how to forge synergy between development policies to address the root causes of conflicts, and how to advance the UN's cooperation with Africa to provide stronger support, he said.

It is important to support Africa's leading role in its own peace and security. Africans know Africa best, and African countries are core forces for maintaining their own peace and security, said Liu.

The international community should adhere to the principle of seeking African solutions for African problems, and provide assistance on the basis of respect and trust, rather than interfere in other countries' internal affairs in the name of human rights or even overstep their authority. For post-conflict countries, there is a need to support their own choice of development paths and governance models that suit their own national conditions, rather than find fault with them, still less engage in so-called democratic transformation, he said.

Security personnel of the Ghana Police Service take part in a parade during the Independence Day celebrations in Kumasi, Ghana, on March 6, 2023. (Photo by Yaw Afrim Gyebi/Xinhua)

It is important to support African countries' security capacity-building, which is the only way to address both the symptoms and the root causes of the conflicts in Africa, he said.

"We need to help African countries build a professional, efficient and strong security sector to tackle real security threats such as terrorist extremism and intercommunal conflicts," he said. "The UN peacekeeping operations in Africa need to respect the views of the host countries and support their efforts to strengthen security-sector development and reform. The arms embargoes imposed by the Security Council on Sudan, South Sudan and other countries have hindered the development of the security capacity of these countries and should be adjusted or lifted in a timely manner."

It is important to support Africa in achieving sustainable development. Development and security are interdependent and complementary, said Liu.

When working with Africa, the international community needs to strengthen coordination with the African Union's Agenda 2063, the Silencing the Guns initiative and other initiatives, and support Africa in advancing infrastructure development, speeding up industrialization, fighting pandemics, eliminating poverty, boosting employment, and accelerating the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

The root cause of Africa's development issue is the unfair international economic order. Developed countries must shoulder their due responsibilities, honor their commitments to development aid and repay the historical debts they owed to Africa, he said.

Participants take part in the 5th Kenya International Industrial Expo in Nairobi, capital of Kenya, on Nov. 3, 2022. (Photo by Charles Onyango/Xinhua)

It is important to support Africa's efforts to seek strength through unity, said Liu.

Over the past 20 years, the African Union has held high the banner of strengthening through unity, solidarity and cooperation, committed itself to exploring a development path that fits well with Africa, and spoken with one voice in international affairs. These efforts have vigorously safeguarded peace, security, stability and development in Africa, he said.

The African Union-led peacekeeping operations, as a useful practice for Africans to seek African solutions for African problems, should get flexible, predictable and sustainable financial support. China firmly supports Africa's in-depth participation in the Group of 20, BRICS and other mechanisms, and firmly supports Africa's greater role in global governance and international affairs, he said.

China has all along stood together with Africa through thick and thin. China will, as always, view Africa as a high priority in its external relations and prioritize Africa's peace and security in its work at the Security Council. China is ready to work with the international community to advocate a vision of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security, help Africa silence the guns, and build a community with a shared future for mankind, he said.