President Emmerson Mnangagwa yesterday reaffirmed Zimbabwe’s commitment to supporting reforms aimed at strengthening the African Union’s financial independence during a meeting with the continental body’s High Representative for Financing the Union and the Peace Fund, Dr Donald Kaberuka.
Dr Kaberuka paid a courtesy call on President Mnangagwa as part of ongoing consultations with key stakeholders across Africa on progress made towards enhancing the African Union’s financial sustainability and reducing reliance on external funding.
During the meeting, President Mnangagwa commended Dr Kaberuka for spearheading initiatives designed to restore the African Union’s financial autonomy and ensure the organisation is adequately resourced to fulfil its mandate.
“Zimbabwe fully supports the ongoing institutional reforms aimed at strengthening the African Union’s capacity to sustainably finance its programmes, peace and security operations, and development agenda,” President Mnangagwa said.
The President stressed that Africa’s long-term development goals could only be achieved through a financially independent continental body capable of implementing programmes without excessive dependence on external partners.
“A financially self-reliant African Union is critical to advancing the continent’s aspirations for greater unity, resilience and ownership of its development priorities. It is important that African nations continue to work together in building institutions that are sustainable and capable of responding to the needs of our people,” he said.
President Mnangagwa said the drive towards financial sustainability would strengthen the Union’s ability to address peace and security challenges while accelerating socio-economic development across the continent.
He further underscored the need for member states to honour their commitments and actively participate in mechanisms established to ensure the African Union’s long-term financial viability.
“The successful implementation of these reforms requires collective commitment from all Member States. Through shared responsibility and cooperation, we can build a stronger and more effective African Union that is able to finance its priorities and deliver meaningful results for the people of Africa,” he said.
The African Union has for several years pursued reforms aimed at enhancing its financial independence, with member states seeking to increase domestic contributions towards the organisation’s programmes, peacekeeping initiatives and development activities.
The reforms are intended to reduce reliance on external funding while promoting African ownership of the continent’s priorities and development agenda.
