In an upbeat address to the Interfaith Conference for Peace in Africa, Deputy President Jacob Zuma said on Tuesday the successful resolution of conflicts such as Mozambique, Angola and South Africa is an indicator that peace on the African continent is an achievable goal.
”These examples should make us optimistic,” Zuma said.
But, he said these successes were a mere drop in the ocean considering that Africa needs to achieve not only peace between states — which it has yet to do — but also the security and safety of ordinary citizens within states.
”The doctrine of human security calls for the provision of basic needs of the people, for example access to shelter, water, electricity, education, health and other services. This leads to the creation of conditions in which peace would be sustainable…”
”Peace also produces the conditions for the establishment of strong states, with governments that are selected by the people democratically, which would meet the basic needs of the people.”
He said that the quest for a comprehensive solution to African problems had given birth to the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (Nepad).
Zuma boasted that Nepad has already gone beyond being a plan to being a serious of concrete developmental and governance projects currently being implemented on the continent.
However, he warned the interfaith delegates and South Africans in general against expecting governments to work towards peace and stability alone.
”This [achievement of peace] is a multisectoral task, requiring every stakeholder within African society — the religious sector, labour, business and other structures of civil society,” he said.
The deputy president said the religious community has an even bigger role to play given the fact that they reached millions of people each day and are in a position to guide belligerents to realise that it was possible to stop war.
He said although the government is pleased with the work of the faithful towards making Africa a conflict-free zone, there are some members of the community who are not assisting the peace process.
In Burundi, for example, Zuma said the leader of the rebel Palipehutu-FNL, Agathon Rwasa, who is himself a minister, has not so far not joined the ceasefire process. He appealed to the interfaith representatives at the conference to reach out to rebel leaders like Rwasa.
”The religious community has played a key role in working for peace in some of the conflict-ridden areas in the Great Lakes region, for example in Burundi.
”We humbly request you to assist our efforts through ministering to the signatories of the ceasefire agreements signed last year, to strengthen their faith in the peace process and boost implementation efforts,” Zuma said.
He said that for its part, the government is determined to continue working hard to support the African Union in its continent-wide peace efforts.
The AU is currently in the process of establishing the Peace and Security Council, expected to play a key role in working towards peace and stability on the continent.
It is also in the process of establishing an African Standby Force to help the Peace and Security Council implement its peace-keeping missions. — Sapa