President John Dramani Mahama has raised concerns about the African Union’s reliance on external funding, stating that it hinders the organization’s ability to set its own agenda. In his address at the opening session of the retreat focused on implementing institutional reforms for the African Union, currently taking place in Nairobi, Kenya, Mahama emphasized the importance of achieving financial independence for the AU.
He also emphasized the urgent need to implement the Kigali Decision on Financing the Union, which was a resolution adopted by African Union heads of state and government during the 2016 AU Summit in Kigali, Rwanda. This decision aimed to establish a reliable and predictable source of funding for the African Union, thereby reducing its dependence on external donors. The ongoing retreat is expected to address key issues, including terrorism in member states, financing, and trade agreements, which are significant challenges facing the union.
“We must adopt principles that guide how we conduct our affairs, ensuring that our policies and programs lead to real change for our people. We need a mechanism that prioritizes accountability, transparency, and value for money, so that every resource is maximized for the benefit of the African people.”
“Your excellencies one of the pillars of reforms is AU’s financial autonomy, the over-reliance on external partners for funding compromises the organisation’s independence for funding and ability to set its own agenda. The implementation of the Kigali decision on financing the union must be expedited,” he stated. President Mahama also encouraged member states of the African Union to consider appointing more women and youth to leadership roles at all levels of governance as he proudly pointed to his decision to appoint Ghana’s first female Vice President as a key example.
“Africa’s future lies in its youth, over 60% of our population is under the age of 25 and yet their voices are largely absent in policy making. We must institutionalise a framework that empowers our young people and our women to lead at all levels of governance,” President John Mahama added.
By: Akosua Otchere
