Addis Ababa: The forthcoming 38th Ordinary Session of the African Union (AU) would be a defining moment to tackle critical issues facing the continent, according to journalists.
According to Ethiopian News Agency, Nelson Kiva, who is working for a Kampala-based New Vision media, stated that this year’s African Union Summit comes at a critical juncture when Africa seeks to redefine its future amidst a complex global geopolitical and economic shift. The upcoming high-level gathering of the continent will take place on February 15-16, 2025, in Addis Ababa and will deliberate on crucial issues affecting African nations and set policy priorities for the coming year.
Kiva, a Ugandan journalist, highlighted critical areas that the summit should focus on, including agricultural transformation, economic integration, peace and security, as well as inclusive sustainable development for a promising future. Particularly, the journalist expressed his hope that the summit would emphasize agricultural transformation of the
continent to ensure food security and foster overall economic growth.
For him, a significant portion of the continent’s population is engaged in agriculture, which remains largely non-mechanized and reliant on seasonal rainfall. This agricultural practice has resulted in hindering the year-round food production across Africa, Kiva indicated. Consequently, he recommended that the summit build upon the 10-year agricultural strategy established at the extraordinary Comprehensive Africa Development Programme (CAADP) AU Kampala Summit to advance towards a sustainable food system in the continent.
On his part, Chief Correspondent at the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Fortune Abang, hoped that the summit will thoroughly discuss major initiatives aimed at addressing matters related to peace and security, regional integration, and economic development endeavors. He also anticipated that the primary emphasis of the summit would be the evaluation of policies and programs on the effective execution of AU Agenda 2063. He
stressed the summit should encourage dialogue that promotes regional integration, enhances sovereignty, and advances technological progress.
Speaking on the Summit’s theme: “Justice for Africans and People of African Descent through Reparations,” Kiva called for a reparations commission of experts to investigate and document the lasting effects of colonialism, slavery, and racism on Africans and people of African descent. He further explained that the reparation agenda necessitates the new leadership at the African Union to engage in advocacy and raise awareness regarding the importance of reparations.
The contributions of African civil society and the diaspora should not be underestimated, he said, adding that these have to be employed to bolster the demand for reparations. The journalist highlighted the significance of financial reparations in particular, which would facilitate various economic development initiatives aimed at tackling existing challenges. Additionally, he advocated for debt cancellation,
the establishment of educational and cultural funds, and, to a lesser extent, the creation of monuments and statues to honor the victims of historical injustices as a form of symbolic reparations.