The African Union is reportedly backing the European Union's(EU) ultimatum to the military junta to restore democracy by the end of themonth or face stiff sanctions if the coup leaders refuse to abide by theultimatum. The African Union says it is in harmony with the European Union, aday after it issued an ultimatum to the military junta,urging them to unveil a plan to restore constitutional order within a month orface what it described as appropriate measures.
TheEU deadline was reportedly set after an inconclusive meeting in Paris betweenrepresentatives of the military junta which seized power in Nouakchott lastAugust and delegates from concerned EU member states. The African Union issuedits own ultimatum two weeks ago, calling on the junta to reinstate thecountry's first democratically elected president, Sidi Ould Cheikh Abdallahi, butthe military junta failed to heed to the deadline, dismissing it as not inMauritanians' interest.
ProfessorOkey Onyejekwe is the director of governance at the United Nations EconomicCommission for Africa. He tells reporter Peter Clottey from Ethiopia's capital,Addis Ababa that the African Union must stands its ground to maintaincredibility.
"The African Union hasbasically taken the lead on this issue given the fact that the Africa Union hasbeen committed since 2000 to a peaceful transfer and constitutional transfer ofpower. And hence, they have taken the lead is in consonance with theConstitutive Act of the Africa Union and the Lome Convention of 2000, as wellas the recent charter on governance and democracy," Onyejekwe pointed out.
He said Africa's continentalbody should maintain its stance on its ultimatum to the military junta.
"I think the African Unionmust maintain its credibility. Otherwise the Lome Convention of 2000 and theConstitutive Act is quite meaningless. As you would recall in the Comoros, theytried to implement these resolutions that no African government should be putin place through unconstitutional means. The role of the EU in my judgment isreally secondary as long as it is the African Union that is taking the lead. Andeveryone is watching to see how the African Union would actually live up to itsdetermination not to allow non-constitutional means of overtaking government.And as the case with Africa, it's not just about election. It is about theconsolidation of democracy," he said.
Onyejekwe said although themilitary option should be taken off the table, it should be the last resort inresolving conflicts on the continent.
"The military option shouldbe the last option. But the point here is that if the African Union is verymuch reconstituted Organization of African Unity, committed to a constitutionalapproach to governance, then it must live up to its expectations. And peopleare watching to see. As you would recall, in Mauritania, there was an exceptionmade in the last coup, and here again, this is another test. My point here isessentially that if declarations are made and are not adhered to, then it isnot worth the paper it is written on," Onyejekwe pointed out.
He said the military juntashould meet some of the preconditions in order to restore democracy.
"There are otherpreconditions so far, and one is the release of the president and the primeminister, which I think is very basic and minimal. But for me, it is also aquestion of good faith that if you would release the president and the primeminister, then it shows a good faith commitment to negotiations. But on theother hand, if the decision is to completely ignore what I call minimal demandson the part of the new junta and at the same time recalcitrance and disrespect?then they need to be sanctioned," he noted.
Meanwhile, thejunta has promised to hold elections quickly. But no date has been set, andparliament has voted to delay a presidential vote by at least a year.
Failure to respond to the EU ultimatum will likely lead to sanctions drawn upunder the Cotonou Accord between the EU and the countries of Africa, theCaribbean, and the Pacific, which provides for a ban on all development funds,aside from humanitarian aid.