Addis Ababa (Ethiopia) 07 December 2024 (SPS)- The African Union’s 5th High-Level Forum on Women, Peace, and Security recognized the dangers of conflicts and human rights abuses to peace and security in Africa in its closing session yesterday in the Headquarters if the AU in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
The Forum to which a Sahrawi delegation took part, stressed that conflicts’ non-resolution and human rights abuses in addition to other aspects of instability, political unrest and poverty are among the main reasons that hinder the establishment of peace and security in the continent.
The Sahrawi delegate to the Forum, Mrs. Metu Mohamed Lamine, raised the issue of the illegal occupation and human rights violations committed by Morocco in the occupied zones of Western Sahara is one of the reasons behind the lack of stability in Northern Africa.
She informed the Forum about the serious human rights abuses committed by the Moroccan occupying forces against Sahrawi women in the occupied territories of Western Sahara.
Metu further presented to the participants some of the achievements of the Sahrawi government in the empowerment of the Sahrawi women and protection of her rights.
The African Union’s 5th High-Level Forum on Women, Peace, and Security kicked off Thursday at the AU headquarters in Addis Ababa with the participation of a Sahrawi delegation, alongside African and international women leaders, decision-makers, and experts. The forum aims to advance the Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) agenda across the African continent.
The two-day forum served as a platform to reflect on achievements, tackle challenges, and draft a roadmap to ensure active and equitable participation of women in peacebuilding and security processes throughout Africa, according to the organizers’ vision.
Representing the Sahrawi delegation, Ms. Metu Mohamed Lamine, from the Ministry of Social Affairs and Women Promotion, emphasized in a statement to the SPS correspondent in Addis Ababa that the presence of a Sahrawi female representative clearly demonstrates the Sahrawi government’s steadfast commitment to empowering Sahrawi and African women. She affirmed that the Sahrawi delegation is participating alongside other member states to enhance women’s roles in conflict resolution and peacebuilding processes.
Ms. Metu highlighted the Sahrawi Republic’s unwavering commitment to peace and justice, noting that the Sahrawi people’s liberation struggle has shaped their approach to empowering women in decision-making and peacebuilding roles across various structures of the Sahrawi government and the leadership of the Polisario Front.
The forum’s agenda includes keynote speeches, panel discussions, and group assignments focusing on key topics such as women’s innovations in peace processes, strategies for implementing WPS action plans post-2025, and the role of documentation and media in showcasing women’s leadership in conflict transformation. (SPS)
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