UN Peace Building Commission Seeks Help For Five African Countries

By George Okore

The United Nations Peace Building Commission is seeking more help to prevent five African post-conflict countries from lapsing back into bloodshed.

The Commission told the United Nations General Assembly that there is need to promote economic development, institution building and rule of law to consolidate stability to prevent recurrence of violence in Burundi, Central African Republic (CAR), Guinea-Bissau, Liberia and Sierra Leone.

The Commission says there is urgent need to address critical peace building priorities in these countries through enhancing national ownership and building national capacities to lay solid foundation for economic growth, peace consolidation and sustainable development.

The outgoing chairman Peter Wittig of Germany warns that the five countries might lapse back to bloodshed if no urgent action is taken. He told the General Assembly of the five-year-old body that greater support is needed from UN leadership and Member States. “The challenge facing the Commission in demonstrating its full potentials, however, is to ensure that its work is backed by a higher level of political commitment from Member States and the Senior United Nations leadership,” he said.

“The review should be a wake-up call to strengthen the collective resolve to deal with peace building in a more comprehensive and determined way,” the report concluded, noting that expectations have been raised for a more central role of and contribution by the Commission to an evolving UN peace building agenda grounded in improving its impact on the ground.

This will require entire African political leadership to put the greater interest of the country above partisan and personal interests in order to preserve tolerance, peace and the traditional reputation of the continent as a mature and friendly democracy.