AS reactions continue to trail the xenophobic violence going on in South Africa, the Economic, Social and Cultural Council of the African Union (ECOSOCC) has called attention to the need to rapidly move towards the creation of the United States of Africa.
This, it said, is the key to ensuring that the issues of xenophobic attack does not recur as Africans will be compelled to live together in the political and economic context envisioned by the founding fathers of the African Union.
In a statement by the presiding officer, AU ECOSOCC, Honourable Joseph Chilengi, he stressed the need to convene an emergency session of the Union to discuss the situation and authorise a framework of action for addressing it on a collective basis.
“They should also use the experience to conceive Pan-African programs and policies that will prevent its recurrence.
“The episode draws attention to the need to fast track the integration and development agenda of the African Union and to move more rapidly towards the creation of the United States of Africa.
“For it is only when Africans are living together in this political and economic context envisioned by the founding parents of the African Union that we can be rest assured that this shameful exercise will never occur again,” he said.
He condemned the attacks on African citizens of different nationalities in the Republic of South Africa, saying, “ECOSOCC is sad to learn that such incidents have occurred in a country for which Africans on the continent and the Diaspora sacrificed so dearly to ensure independence and black majority rule.
“ECOSOCC is appalled to see gruesome pictures of African citizens of South African extraction brutally assaulting, killing, looting and burning the properties of their kith and kin from other parts of the continent. This is a blot on the African landscape and negates the very essence of the African Union and its purpose, principles and values. This deplorable situation makes a mockery of the people- centric orientation of the African Union in general and ECOSOCC in particular. ECOSOCC offers a sincere apology to all victims of this shameful exercise.
“Beyond this, ECOSOCC recognises the need for timely and appropriate action to ensure that this episode ends immediately and never recurs. Accordingly, the Organ proposes a framework of action embracing the following measures:
“The Government and people of South Africa must take timely and immediate action to ensure the cessation of all acts of hostilities in this context and assure security of lives and property of all Africans and indeed all the people in South Africa, regardless of their state of origin.”
“As a logical corollary, the instigators and perpetrators of the gruesome acts must be brought to justice, irrespective of their status in the community. The South African government should also encourage all stakeholders and the broad strata of South African society to embrace civil dialogue rather than violent interactions as a means of expressing opinions,” he urged.
He further asked that compensation be paid to all victims while political, economic and psychological policies and programs of restitution and reinsertion should be put in place to ensure the reintegration of victims in society.
Source: Tribune Nig.
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