Addis ababa: Sheikh Al Mahfouz bin Bayyah, Secretary-General of the Abu Dhabi Forum for Peace and General Coordinator of the African Conference for the Promotion of Peace, emphasized the United Arab Emirates' partnership in supporting African-led solutions for peacemaking. His remarks were delivered at the African Union headquarters in Addis Ababa during an international meeting organized by the Network for Religious and Traditional Peacemakers and hosted by the Inter-Religious Council of Ethiopia. The meeting gathered notable attendees, including Khairuddin Tezera, Ethiopia's Minister of State for Peacebuilding and National Reconciliation, alongside representatives from the African Union, African nations, international organizations, and religious and traditional leaders.
According to Emirates News Agency, Sheikh Al Mahfouz bin Bayyah highlighted that the UAE's approach to supporting African peace efforts is grounded in partnership and the enhancement of African institutions and leaders' capacities. This strategy aims to empower the continent to develop its own solutions, utilizing its vast wisdom, experience, and cultural heritage.
He elaborated that the Abu Dhabi Forum for Peace collaborates with African partners to actualize values of peace and coexistence through institutional initiatives. These initiatives are primarily focused on conflict prevention, reforming concepts and narratives, and fostering trust.
Sheikh Al Mahfouz bin Bayyah explained that this vision is realized across Africa through the 'African Conference for the Promotion of Peace,' a partnership between Mauritania and the UAE. The conference seeks to establish platforms for peacebuilding and empower scholars, religious, and traditional leaders in their efforts towards prevention and reconciliation.
He expressed his aspirations for Africa to play an active role in crafting peace initiatives, with solutions that are internally generated and informed by the continent's profound wisdom and cultural depth, within the framework of supportive international partnerships.
Furthermore, Sheikh Al Mahfouz bin Bayyah called for enhanced institutional cooperation between the African Union, the African Conference for the Promotion of Peace, and the Abu Dhabi Forum for Peace. Such cooperation would bolster the influence of religious and traditional leaders in preventing conflicts, combating hate speech and extremism, and promoting reconciliation and social harmony.
Yesterday, he also participated in the 15th-anniversary celebration of the Inter-Religious Council of Ethiopia, attended by Taye Atske Selassie, President of the Republic of Ethiopia.