Harare, (New Ziana) – In a powerful show of continental leadership, President of the Pan-African Parliament (PAP), Chief Fortune Zephania Charumbira, has reaffirmed his steadfast commitment to institutional collaboration and unity in pursuit of peace and security across Africa.
Chief Charumbira made these remarks during a high-level preparatory meeting between the African Union Peace and Security Council (PSC) and the PAP, held on the margins of the AU Mid-Year Coordination Meeting (MYCM) in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea.
The gathering served as a strategic platform to finalise the agenda for the much-anticipated Joint Consultative Meeting between the two organs, scheduled for 17–18 July 2025 in Midrand, South Africa.
This marks the first formal collaboration between the PSC and PAP in more than a decade—a development hailed by both institutions as a critical turning point in the African Union’s efforts to forge coordinated, impactful responses to the continent’s peace and security challenges.
Chief Charumbira, in his address, underscored the historical weight of the upcoming Joint Meeting and assured stakeholders that no logistical hurdles would stand in the way of its successful execution.
He championed the need for durable and institutionalized working methods, proposing the formation of specialized parliamentary committees to focus on regional conflict hotspots and the integration of parliamentary diplomacy in conflict resolution and governance.
He further called for enhanced technical and financial capacity-building for PAP to strengthen its contributions to continental peace efforts.
Chairperson of the PSC, Her Excellency Ambassador Rebecca Amuge Otongo, welcomed the PAP delegation warmly and described the preparatory engagement as a milestone in deepening cooperation between AU organs.
She applauded the commitment demonstrated by PAP’s leadership, noting that institutional coordination is essential to address complex conflict dynamics affecting regions such as the Sahel, Sudan, and South Sudan.
The African Union’s Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security, His Excellency Ambassador Bankole Adewoye, also lent his voice to the strategic relevance of the forthcoming meeting.
He urged PAP to leverage its parliamentary reach to amplify Africa’s peace agenda, highlighting the thematic focus on women and youth in peacebuilding, and addressing unconstitutional changes of government.
Demonstrating PAP’s inclusive approach, First Vice President Hon. Dr. Fatimetou Habib revealed that both the Women’s Caucus and the Youth Caucus would participate in the Joint Meeting, ensuring that the voices of these critical groups are embedded in the continental peace and governance dialogue.
New Ziana
