AFRICA-FRANCE: UN, OAU to be Involved in African Peacekeeping Force

BIARRITZ, France, Nov 09 (IPS) - The proposal to form an inter- African peacekeeping force received a warm reception at the just ended summit meeting between French and African leaders in this south-western coastal town.

French President Francois Mitterrand said that much progress had been made toward that goal. "A certain number of principles have been defined," Mitterrand said at Wednesday's closing press briefing at the 18th Conference of Heads of State of France and Africa.

Leaders envision the United Nations and the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) as the legal basis for such a force and recognise the need to work out financing and logistics, he said.

They also agree on the importance of formulating accords, at least on a regional basis, defining a command structure and coordinating with English-speaking African neighbours.

The summit brought together delegations from 35 African states, nearly all former colonies of France, Belgium or Portugal, for the bi-annual meeting. The next conference will be held in Burkina Faso.

President Blaise Campaore of Burkina Faso told reporters that one could not speak of a peacekeeping force in West Africa without including Nigeria and Ghana. "A certain number of questions about geo-politics, means and the U.N. mechanisms that could work in Africa" remain to be resolved, he added.

President Omar Bongo of Gabon, host of the preceding summit, said at the press conference that "the idea of an African intervention force has germinated".

"We have not yet managed to do something because of finances, material and logistics," he said. "But we are going to take back history. We are beginning at the Francophone level and will seek the involvement of the OAU and the U.N."

The French president pledged his country's logistical support for a future peacekeeping force and promised to promote the idea in the European Union (EU) and other international settings.

Asked whether the summit decided on any concrete forms of "preventive diplomacy" to aid Burundi, he said that a two-day conference could not be expected to put specific measures into practice.

© Inter Press Service (2014) — All Rights Reserved. Original source: Inter Press Service