An estimated 17 African countries including Ghana are to conduct their presidential or general elections in 2024.
The continent has for the past three years been threatened with political instability leading to coup d’etats and other disturbances.
But speakers at the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC) 3rd stakeholder dialogue series event are expecting the outcome of these elections to influence the trajectory of African nations in their journey towards stable and participatory governance.
“Whilst the AU Agenda 2063 provides a myriad of opportunities for economic transformation and growth, the continent continues to be threatened with bad governance, violent extremism, terrorism, cyber-attacks, political upheavals resulting in a surge of coup d’états in the last 3 years.
“As Ghana goes to the polls in December this year, it is imperative for us to reflect on the pivotal role that civic engagement and strong institutions play in the sustainable development of our nation”, Deputy Commandant at KAIPTC, Air Commodore David Anetey Akrong stated on July 17.
Air Commodore Akrong noted that, by investing in resilient institutions and promoting good governance, countries can enhance their security architecture and contribute to sustainable peace and development.
The dialogue series is to promote transparency and trust between citizens and state institutions to ensure good governance and enhance rule of law.
Programme Executive at Research Governance of Human Right AACC Liaison Office to the African Union, Justice Oman stressed on the need for citizens to engage in governance process.
“Over the past few years, we have experienced political instability across the continent. Recent events in Kenya call for a deeper reflection on the nature of democracy and the quality of governance on the continent. It is time to reflect on and identify the disconnect between the governance system in Africa and the expectations of the citizenry to address it.
“This is the time for African citizens to engage constructively in the governance process to build strong, resilient institutions. Strong and independent institutions that promote trust, enhance the rule of law, entrench democratic principles and values, and most importantly, protect the fundamental human rights of every African citizen”, he said.
Mr Oman noted, to achieve the objective of the 50-year blueprint for the transformation of Africa into a prosperous and peaceful Africa driven by its own citizens, representing a dynamic force in the international arena “we need an active African citizen matched with a responsive and accountable government”.
The All-African Conference of Churches, government of Norway and German Development Cooperation sponsored series served as a platform for relevant stakeholders to deliberate on issues that will ensure free and fair electoral processes devoid of violence.
The post Recent events in Kenya call for deeper reflection on nature of democracy, quality of governance on the continent – AU official first appeared on 3News.
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