The SRSG to the AU and Head of UNOAU meets with the Chinese Ambassador to the AU

30 Jan 2023

The SRSG to the AU and Head of UNOAU meets with the Chinese Ambassador to the AU

On 30 January, the SRSG to the AU and Head of UNOAU paid a courtesy call on Ambassador Hu Changchun, the Head of the Mission of China to the AU. The SRSG UNOAU briefed the Ambassador on the UN-AU Joint Framework for enhanced partnership in peace and security, ongoing programmes and the institutional partnership review mechanisms, and the UNOAU mandate. He also informed about ongoing UN-AU joint initiatives including the Joint Sahel Assessment, and the ongoing preparation for the SG’s report on financing AU-led peace support operations due to the Security Council by 30 April. He highlighted the SG’s emphasis on using multilateral approaches to address global challenges, including COVID-19, climate change, the Russia-Ukraine conflict, and terrorism. The SRSG UNOAU further briefed on Africa’s call for peace enforcement to complement peace keeping. He thanked China for its support to Africa, including for the Presidential statement issued on 31 August under China’s Presidency of the UNSC, regarding the financing of peace operations.

Ambassador Hu Changchun reiterated China’s continued commitment to support Africa, while recognizing the principle of African solutions to Africa’s problems. He highlighted China’s support to Africa including the support provided to the SAMIM counter-terrorism operations in Mozambique. The SRSG UNOAU and Ambassador Hu Changchun exchanged views on the causes and drivers of terrorism on the African continent. They underscored that terrorism will not be addressed through purely military means and called for more attention to social and economic development strategies. They also expressed the need to ensure that ATMIS is not weakened during the draw-down and transition phase.