Prof. Bathily confident in his chances to succeed Mrs. Zuma as AUC chair

Professor Abdoulaye Bathily, candidate for the position of Chairperson of the African Union Commission, complimented the Community of West African States (ECOWAS) for ensuring the departure of former President Yayah Jammeh without using the military option in The Gambia. For the Senegalese historian designated by ECOWAS, who benefits from great support from his government for […]

Professor Abdoulaye Bathily, candidate for the position of Chairperson of the African Union Commission, complimented the Community of West African States (ECOWAS) for ensuring the departure of former President Yayah Jammeh without using the military option in The Gambia.

For the Senegalese historian designated by ECOWAS, who benefits from great support from his government for his campaign and who has succeeded in securing the support of 42 African countries, the Gambian crisis ended honorably thanks to the solidarity of the West African region on the issue and to the full backing of the African Union and the United Nations.

Professor Abdoulaye Bathily, who answered questions from journalists on Monday in Dakar, Senegal, during a press conference he gave a few days before the election of the new Chairperson of the African Union Commission said however, that this regional and continental cohesion should prevail throughout all processes of crisis resolution in Africa.

But not all African crises are alike, particularly those in Central Africa where solutions are difficult because of the long duration of the crisis and the complexity of both the settlement processes and the positions taken by the various actors and protagonists involved in these processes.

The Senegalese candidate, who "amassed a wealth of experience forged by his actions on the ground", including his involvement, under the aegis of the United Nations, in discussions with the parties to the crisis actors in Mali, Central Africa and the Great Lakes Region, believes that, once he is head of the African Union Commission, he will be able to help to "bring the states to make mutual concessions in the crises that divide Africa".

Addressing the major challenges posed by poor management of democratic transitions and aspirations for economic and social development, Professor Bathily noted that while the first challenge has often led to civil wars and has so far forced about 15 million people to become displaced within the continent, the latter exerts more pressure as progress is made here and there.

"There can be no peace and security without economic and social development and there can be no economic and social development without security and peace," says Abdoulaye Bathily, who suggests that "the African Union Commission must put forward bold proposals to avoid the Berlin syndrome (fragmentation of Africa, 1884- 1885), which, while still very present, tends to "position Africa on the periphery of world development".

It should be recalled that the 28th session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union, scheduled to be held at the end of January in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, will, among other things, elect a new chairperson of the African Union Commission to succeed South Africa’s Nkozasana Dlamini Zuma.