US urges UN-Africa coordination to address conflicts, insecurity

The United States believes coordination and partnership between the United Nations and the African Union can help achieve peace, security, and prosperity in Africa.

Ambassador Jeffrey Bartos, US Representative for UN Management and Reform, presented Washington’s position on Tuesday at a UN Security Council meeting on UN and AU cooperation.

The envoy said ongoing peace operations in some of the most fragile parts of Africa demand that doctrines, policies, and directives are of synergistic interaction.

Commending the political dialogue on Sudan by the UN, AU, EU, IGAD, and the Arab League, the US called for an immediate end to the violence and a humanitarian truce.

“We continue to consider all ways to support these efforts, including through an expansion of the Darfur arms embargo to cover all of Sudan,” Bartos announced.

On DR Congo, Washington encouraged the AU and the UN to further facilitate the US and Qatar-led peace processes to resolve the persistent conflict.

The US condemned the terrorist attacks in Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger, maintaining that AU-UN alliance is critical to addressing “a multitude of challenges” in West Africa and the Sahel. 

Ambassador Bartos reminded the UN that the international community has a vested interest in countering terrorism and the threat it poses to the global community.

He cited UNSCR 2719, which backs UN financing of Security Council-authorized AU-led peace operations, saying the framework can be a useful tool in ensuring security and stability in Africa.

Noting that deployments under the resolution will reinforce the AU-UN collaboration, Bartos said such peacekeeping missions “should be small, time-bound, and have clear objectives.”