January 10, 2017
The Republic of Sierra Leone has been given the vote of confidence by the African Union (AU) to continue the Chairmanship of the AU Peace and Security Council (PSC) for a second month in a row.
That was due to the respect and confidence reposed on the leadership of His Excellency, President Dr. Ernest Bai Koroma and his astute and incisive Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Dr. Samura M.W. Kamara.
The vote of confidence was also not far from being connected with the constructive manner in which Sierra Leone’s Permanent Representative to the African Union, Ambassador Osman Keh Kamara guided the deliberations of the African Union Peace and Security Council as Chair for the month of December, 2016.
This is the first time since the AU PSC was established in 2001 for a country which has just concluded its Chairmanship for the month to be called upon again to serve as Chair for the succeeding month.
Some of the items and reports that will be deliberated upon by Member States of the PSC for the month of January will include: “Briefing on the Post-Election Situation in the Islamic Republic of The Gambia, Political Situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Consideration of the Report of the Chairperson of the Commission on the Situation in Somalia and Implementation of the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) mandate, Consideration of the Draft African Union Roadmap on Practical Steps to Silence the Guns in Africa by the Year 2020 and the Consideration of the Draft Report of the Peace and Security Council on its Activities and the State of Peace and Security in Africa”.
In adopting the Draft Provisional Programme of Work of the AU Peace and Security Council for the month of January 2017, Member States expressed their gratitude to the Republic of Sierra Leone for the excellent stewardship for the month of December, 2016 and for accepting the responsibility to Chair Council for the month of January 2017.