Speaking at the 37th Ordinary Session of the AU Assembly, the Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat, called for a new awakening and revival of nationalism, pan-Africanism, unity and action, highlighting the pressing issues facing the continent.
Among the challenges facing the continent, the official highlighted terrorism, conflicts and violence, and unconstitutional changes of government.
"We are now faced with the urgent need to take a clear stand on this set of issues at the heart of the emergence of our organization and our continent. Strengthening our unity and intensifying our struggle requires a new beginning, a genuine revival of nationalism and Pan-Africanism," Faki Mahamat noted.
Reflecting on the continent's concerns, the chairman highlighted terrorism, saying that it is "destroying some of our nations and changing priorities by increasing exorbitant military spending at the expense of vital social sectors."
The official also expressed concern about the security situation in conflict-torn Libya and Sudan.
"Libya remains divided and subject to all kinds of external interference aimed at satisfying their insatiable appetites. Sudan, bruised, torn and deeply trampled by its elites, is sinking into chaos while the cries of its people for peace and justice remain ignored," Faki Mahamat said, calling for a consensual political solution through IGAD and the AU.
The chairman also noted "worrying trends" in the Horn of Africa and the Great Lakes region, fueled by unresolved problems in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo.
"Africa cannot give up and not work towards true peace in the region," he remarked.
The situation in Senegal, in the context of the elections postponed by President Macky Sall to the end of February, received a special mention by the head of the Commission. Faki Mahamat expressed concern about developments in the West African country and hoped that a solution to the institutional crisis could be found in accordance with the rule of law and the fundamental interests of the people.
However, the official also noted the continent's progress in some areas, such as advancing the integration of the African Continental Free Trade Area, the Peace Fund, and consolidating the positions of African nations on global issues, as well as their wider representation on the global stage.
"Africa's common positions on climate, the reform of global governance, and the financing of African peacekeeping missions, which have just achieved success in the UN Security Council, have been strengthened. The entry of the African Union into the G20 forum challenges us to succeed by effectively making our indispensable contribution to addressing global challenges, while intensifying our advocacy for continental priorities," he underlined.
In addition, Faki Mahamat condemned Israel's attacks on the Palestinian Gaza Strip, calling them a "war of extermination," and commended the recent position of the International Court of Justice, while praising South Africa for its proactive approach to the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
Earlier, a group of civil society organizations - some 151 organizations and individuals from within the continent and representing the African diaspora- called on the AU to reject Israel's application for observer status in the continental bloc, which was submitted to the Assembly for consideration in 2022.
"We believe that such an action would send a strong and unified signal to the State of Israel that their actions are intolerable and that they must desist in continuing down this path," they wrote.