The use made by certain States of foreign mercenaries was one of the subjects discussed during the 35th summit of the African Union (AU) which took place in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Indeed, this Sunday, February 06, 2022, at the end of the meeting, the commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace, and Security of the organization, Bankole Adeoye, underlined the danger that these private military groups represent for the countries which appeal.
Completely eliminate mercenaries from Africa
During this summit where the African Union condemned the increase of this phenomenon, the latter urged the countries to a common effort in order to completely eliminate the mercenaries from Africa. To achieve this objective, he expressed his willingness to cooperate with the United Nations Security Council and the European Union. During his speech, Bankole Adeoye did not fail to mention in particular the case of Libya. “From the Cabo Delgado region of Mozambique to Libya, we are facing the emergence of a new phenomenon, the presence of private military contractors from abroad and mercenaries,” he said.
It should be noted that the 35th summit of the African Union was held from February 5 to 6, 2022. These remarks come in a context where, in particular, the United States accuses Mali of having recourse to mercenaries from the Russian private company Wagner. According to information from the American army, the country would pay the latter a sum of 10 million dollars per month. However, this information was denied by the Malian authorities of the transition. As a reminder, the mercenaries of the Wagner group are present in Sudan and the Central African Republic. It must be said that the issue of mercenaries is not the only one condemned by the AU. The organization also condemned the recent coups that took place in Africa. “African leaders have unequivocally condemned the wave of unconstitutional changes of government,” Bankole Adeoye told French media.
