European Commission welcomes approval for a Euro 250 million African Peace Facility

Statement from Commissioner for development aid and humanitarian affairs, Mr. Poul Nielson "I am pleased that Member States have today adopted the European Commission's proposal for a € 250 million Peace Facility to promote African peace keeping in Africa. In little less than 9 months since the African Union launched the idea in Maputo, the Peace Facility has now become a reality.

Africa has set itself an ambitious agenda in the area of peace and security. With the African Union in the driving seat, Africa has demonstrated a strong resolve and its security agenda is fast becoming a reality. This is not the least the case with the recent creation of the African Peace and Security Council which is at the heart of the African Union's emerging peace and security structure. I see the EU's speedy approval of the Peace Facility as recognition of the credibility and authority with which the African Union is taking responsibility in the area of peace and security. The European Commission fully supports those endeavours.

Without peace there can be no development. The Peace Facility provides an important instrument to support African efforts to promote peace to the benefit of the entire continent and its population

I would like to pay tribute to the President of the African Union Commission, Alpha Omar Konaré and the AU Peace and Security Commissioner Said Djinnit for their close co-operation in this endeavour".

The Peace Facility is based on the principle of African ownership. The Peace Facility will support African led peace keeping operations in Africa as wells as capacity building for the emerging security structure of the African Union. The Peace Facility will not finance European peace keeping operations. Peace keeping operations financed under the Peace Facility will be initiated and implemented by the African Union and/or sub-regional African organisations. The African Union will play a central role in the decision making concerning peace keeping operations under the Peace Facility.

The Peace Facility is also based on solidarity. African countries have donated 1,5 pct of their allocations under the 9th European Development Fund to the Peace Facility and are thereby significantly contributing to assuring the financial muscle of the new security structure.


For the French, German and Portuguese versions of this document please go to:
http://europa.eu.int/rapid/start/cgi/guesten.ksh?p_action.gettxt=gt&doc=IP/04/434|0|RAPID&lg=EN

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