At a United Nations Security Council (UNSC) ministerial debate session, in which the members discussed peace building in Africa, Egypt said that Africa needs “creative solutions for the unusual challenges it is currently facing”.
Egypt said that confronting radical groups, immigration, and environmental problems requires several solutions, such as peacekeeping and pursuing sustainable development to resolve disputes.
The Egyptian delegation at the UNSC stressed that while peace efforts are underway in the continent, there should be full perseverance to the sovereignty of the African countries. The delegation also stressed that the Peace Building Commission in the United Nations (UN) should play a role in coordinating national, regional, and international efforts to provide permanent financing for the missions.
The delegation also said that the role of women and youth should be enhanced throughout the different phases of peace building in Africa. Egypt also called for founding a real strategic cooperation between the UN and the African Union to provide stability and permanent peace to African countries.
During the session, the council permitted intervention of about 228 policemen from the UN to go and observe the security situation and the human rights status in Burundi. Egypt is among four other countries that refrained from voting on this decision.
Clashes erupted in Burundi, leaving about 450 dead, after Burundian president Pierre Nkurunziza announced that he will run for a third presidential term last year, which is unconstitutional. Nkurunziza won the election, which sparked anger among his opponents and terminated the peace agreement that ended a civil war in 2005.
Egypt won a non-permanent seat in the UNSC in October 2015 after winning 179 votes out of 193. Currently, it is the only Arab country that holds a seat in the international institution.
