Working collectively for Africa - Egypt - Al-Ahram Weekly
'Peace is the foundation of development, and integration is the path towards a better future for the continent,' President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi said during his speech addressing the African Union's (AU) Seventh Mid-Year Coordination Meeting held in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, this week.
The AU meeting gathered African leaders to discuss continental challenges including peace and security, economic integration, regional cooperation, and intra-African trade. It also focused on challenges facing the continent such as armed conflicts, the spread of terrorism, and the repercussions of climate change.
Held under the theme of 'Justice for Africans and People of African Descent through Reparations', the meeting took place at a time when the African continent is facing various challenges to its stability and security, explained Mohamed Hegazy, a former deputy to Egypt's foreign minister.
The situation in Sudan and Somalia, the pressure of the war on Gaza on the continent, the terrorist activities of the Houthis and the Shabab groups in Yemen and Somalia, the difficult economic situation as a result of the war in Ukraine and the new tariffs imposed by US President Donald Trump, are among the issues the continent has had to deal with, Hegazy said.
Highlighting Egypt's efforts to maintain peace and security in the continent, President Al-Sisi affirmed Egypt's full commitment to supporting the North African Region Capability (NARC) as part of its broader interest in backing the African Peace and Security Architecture (APSA) and its leading role in post-conflict reconstruction and development in the continent.
The NARC is a regional organisation concerned with promoting peace, security, and stability in the continent, according to the protocol establishing the AU's Peace and Security Council (PSC). The APSA is a framework established by the AU to address peace and security issues across the continent.
As the current chair of the NARC, Al-Sisi reviewed Egypt's efforts to ensure its preparedness to promote peace on the African continent in the full belief in the importance of its readiness to protect the capabilities of the African peoples and meet their aspirations for security, stability, and prosperity, as he put it in his speech.
Al-Sisi took part in the meeting in his capacity as chair of the NARC as well as of the Heads of State and Government Orientation Committee of the AU Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD).
In his speech as Chair of the AUDA-NEPAD, Al-Sisi called on all countries to work collectively to overcome its challenges as 'the Africa we want is not a dream but a near reality.' He outlined Egypt's key achievements as leader of the NEPAD Committee for two years, pinpointing the feasibility study that was conducted to launch a NEPAD Development Fund to cover Africa's development financing gap.
He called on the AU's relevant bodies to approve the fund to start much-needed investment projects in the continent.
The key points that the president focused on include closing the continent's development financing gap, accelerating the implementation of the AU's Agenda 2063, investing in human capital through health and education, as well as addressing the threat of climate change, Presidential Spokesperson Mohamed Al-Shennawi said.
Al-Sisi announced the imminent launch of the NEPAD's Centre of Excellence for Climate Initiatives in Cairo, describing it as a vital step to equip the African countries with tools for adaptation and resilience.
He also underscored that despite ongoing regional and international challenges Africa holds vast potential and numerous opportunities for achieving sustainable development and prosperity.
'Let us seize this summit as an opportunity to recommit ourselves to Africa's future… Together, we can transform our collective vision into reality and secure our people's rightful share of peace, prosperity, and progress,' he said.
Al-Sisi's participation, according to Hegazi, showed Egypt's keenness to take part in various important issues, among them security and the stability of the continent in its capacity as chair of the NARC.
Through its participation, Egypt also wants to follow up on the progress of implementing the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Agreement that entered into force in 2019 during Egypt's one-year chairmanship of the AU, Hegazy said.
On the bilateral level, President Al-Sisi met many African leaders, among them Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Cheikh Ghazouani, Angolan President João Lourenço, the present AU Chair, Gabonese President Brice Oligui Nguema, chairman of Libya's Presidential Council Mohamed Al-Menfi, and former Nigerien president Mahamadou Issoufou, who leads efforts on the AfCFTA.
The meetings held on the sidelines of the AU's Coordination Meeting tackled ways of enhancing regional cooperation, development, and stability across Africa.
In addition to focusing on bilateral relations, the African leaders also discussed several regional issues of mutual interest, particularly the situations in the Horn of Africa, Sudan, the Sahel, and Somalia.
Al-Sisi highlighted the importance of African integration, achieving stability, and joint work, Hegazy said. 'This is the trilogy that Egypt focused on during this week's meeting. It will focus on the same issues when it speaks for the continent during the G20 meeting to be held in Cairo on 1 September,' he said.
The AU Mid-Year Coordination Mechanism was established in 2017 to replace the AU's traditional mid-year summits. It brings together a select group of African leaders, including the chairpersons of the Regional Economic Communities, AU commissioners, and the heads of regional mechanisms.
Its primary aim is to coordinate and harmonise the work of the AU Regional Economic Communities to accelerate the implementation of the AU's Agenda 2063 — Africa's strategic plan for growth and sustainable development.
* A version of this article appears in print in the 17 July, 2025 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly
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