Events

ECOSOCC Statement condemning terrorist attack in Tunisia
29 June 2015
The African Union’s Economic, Social and Cultural Council (ECOSOCC) condemns in the strongest terms the terrorist attack on the coastal city of Sousse in Tunisia, on Friday, 26 June 2015 resulting in the death of at least 38 people and wounding at least 39 others.
On behalf of ECOSOCC, I express our deepest condolences to the families of the victims of this heinous act and to the Government of Tunisia and other relevant Governments who have lost their citizens in this attack.
We mourn with Tunisia and stand behind our close friend in this dark time
Although the suspected culprit was killed, ECOSOCC emphasizes the urgency to bring perpetrators, organizers and financiers of this reprehensible act of terrorism to justice, and urged all African and Non-African States to cooperate swiftly and actively with the Tunisian authorities in this regard.
Tunisia is a success story in establishing democratic rule. No terrorist attack can reverse its path in consolidation of democratic gains or in the efforts directed towards economic recovery and development.
Terrorists have declared war on African people and their shared values of peace, freedom, democracy and human rights.
African civil society will not sit on the side-lines as this ruthless terrorist group unleashes pointless violence on innocent civilians in Africa. We stand with our governments as they continue to protect our citizens, support the continental efforts to defeat the terrorist threat, and stand shoulder to shoulder with progressive nations in defiance of these horrible acts.

Mr. Joseph Chilengi,
ECOSOCC Presiding Officer

ECOSOCC Statement on the situation in Burundi
The African Union Economic, Social and Cultural Council (ECOSOCC) is deeply concerned about the unfolding political, security and humanitarian situation in the Republic of Burundi.
ECOSOCC deplores the continued acts of violence against civilian people, civil society, media houses and public institutions. Violence against peacefully protesting citizens is unacceptable and must stop. We remain deeply worried about the plight of people fleeing for their safety from Burundi to neighbouring countries.
ECOSOCC strongly condemns the coup attempt in Burundi led by Major General Godefroid Niyombare to oust Pierre Nkurunziza, the president of Burundi. Changing governments through violence and military force is unconstitutional and undemocratic action.
“We urge all political sides in Burundi to show restraint, end violence, embrace national dialogue and take all possible actions to restore constitutional order, rule of law, peace and stability while ensuring that the human rights of all Burundians are respected and protected,” said Honourable Joseph Chilengi, Presiding Officer of ECOSOCC.
ECOSOCC particularly calls for full respect and protection for civil society and free media in Burundi who became under attacks from different political forces to advance their political agendas. Burundian civil society must have free space to operate. Closed media houses must be reopened and allowed to resume their operations without fear of violence and intimidations.
While welcoming the efforts of the African Union (AU) and the East Africa Community (EAC), ECOSOCC emphasizes the inevitability for all Burundian political forces to respect the principles of the Arusha Agreements to ensure lasting peace, unity and democratic governance.
“The people of Burundi must be allowed to elect democratic, legitimate and constitutional government through inclusive, credible and transparent elections, held in a conducive environment,” declared ECOSOCC Presiding Officer.

PRESS RELEASE: ECOSOCC CONDEMNS XENOPHOBIC "AFROPHOBIC” ATTACKS ON AFRICAN CITIZENS IN SOUTH AFRICA.

The Economic, Social and Cultural Council of the African Union (ECOSOCC) condemns the Xenophobic and/or Afrophobic attacks on African citizens of different nationalities in the Republic of South Africa. ECOSOCC is sad to learn that such incidents have occurred in a country for which Africans on the continent and the Diaspora sacrificed so dearly to ensure independence and black majority rule.
ECOSOCC perceives all Africans as sharing a common African citizenship, albeit of different nationalities, carved up by departing colonial powers to perpetuate their own interests and influence. ECOSOCC is therefore appalled to see gruesome pictures of African citizens of South African extraction brutally assaulting, killing, looting and burning the properties of their kith and kins from other parts of the continent. This is a blot on the African landscape which negates the very essence of the African Union and its purpose, principles and values. This deplorable situation makes a mockery of the people- centric orientation of the African Union in general and ECOSOCC in particular and ECOSOCC offers a sincere apology to all victims of this shameful exercise.

Beyond this, ECOSOCC recognizes the need for timely and appropriate action to ensure that this episode ends immediately and never recurs. Accordingly, the Organ proposes a framework of action embracing the following measures:
1. The Government and people of South Africa must take timely and immediate action to ensure the cessation of all acts of hostilities in this context and to assure the security of lives and property of all Africans and indeed all people in South Africa regardless of their state of origin. As a logical corollary, the instigators and perpetrators of the gruesome acts must be brought to justice, irrespective of their status in the community. The South African government should also encourage all stakeholders and the broad strata of South Africa Society to embrace civil dialogue rather than violent interactions as a means of expressing opinions.

2. Compensation should be paid to all victims while political, economic and psychological policies and programs of restitution and reinsertion should be put in place to ensure the reintegration of victims in society. The policies and programs should be conceived in the immediate, short, medium and long terms. Psychological measures are required immediately to address related traumas associated with the impact of this terrible and nauseating experience.

3. The Commission of the African Union as the Secretariat of the Union should convene an Extra-Ordinary Emergency session of the Union to discuss the situation and authorize a framework of action for addressing it on a collective basis. They should also use the experience to conceive Pan-African programs and policies that will prevent its recurrence.

4. The episode draws attention to the need to fast track the integration and development agenda of the African Union and to move more rapidly towards the creation of the United States of Africa. For it is only when Africans are living together in this political and economic context envisioned by the founding parents of the African Union that we can be rest assured that this shameful exercise will never occur again.

In conclusion, ECOSOCC on its own part will be sending a follow-up mission to South Africa to consult with the Government and the African civil society community in South Africa on what should be done now and in the longer term. In the course of the mission, ECOSOCC will also do its best to promote order and tranquility. We kindly request the support of the AU Commission, the Pan-African Parliament, the Court of Justice, the African Commission in Banjul, other AU organs and the African people in particular to take appropriate measures to support our activities and efforts in this regard.

Joseph Chilengi,
Presiding Officer, ECOSOCC.

Press Release

Douala, 11 March 2015

ECOSOCC Presiding Official on Working Visit to Cameroon.

The Presiding Officer of the Economic, Social and Cultural Council of the African Union (ECOSOCC), the Honorable Joseph Chilengi, paid a working visit to the Republic of Cameroon from 08-11 March 2015. He went to Cameron to honor the invitation of the Cameroon Business Forum as a high profile guest of the Prime Minister and Head of Government of the Republic of Cameroon, HE Mr. Philemon YANG.

He was received on arrival by his host, government representatives and Cameroon’s elected delegates in ECOSOCC, Mr. Ngalim Eugine Nyudine, the Chairperson of the Peace and Security Cluster Committee of ECOSOCC and his colleague Mr. Allan Blaise Bantongue.

Subsequently, Mr. Joseph Chilengi participated in the Cameroon Business Forum (CBF) held on 9 March 2015 at the Sawa Hotel in Douala at which HE The Prime Minister presided. In the course of the meeting the Prime Minister introduced his noted guest and invited him for follow-up discussions that took place later at the seat of government in Yaoundé. His Excellency, the Prime Minister expressed his joy that ECOSOCC was back in the service of the continent’s integration and development agenda and stressed the readiness and eagerness of the Government and people of Cameroon to offer it the fullest support.

The CBF is a gathering of the Business Community involving leaders of the private sector. The invitation to the ECOSOCC Presiding Officer highlighted the need to ensure that the needs of the people will guide the map for progress and sustainable economic development in Member States of the Union. Related issues that came up for discussion included the continental strategic roadmap, Agenda 2063 and African common position Vis a Vis the Post 2015 development agenda. The discussion highlighted the contribution that ECOSOCC and its national chapters can make and how annual interaction between Business leaders and the wider civil society can consolidate and drive the development process in Cameroon in particular and the continent in general

After the CBF meeting, the Presiding Officer held consultations with his ECOSOCC counterparts, the Cameroon civil society and representatives of the business community. He also took part in a Press Conference that was focused on the decisions of the January AU Summit held in Addis Ababa and the process of their implementation.

The Presiding Officer proceeded from this meeting to Luxor, Egypt to attend the Luxor African Film Festival on the invitation of the former Egyptian Prime Minister, Dr. Asiam Sharaf, who is now the President of the Egyptian Council for Africa that seeks to improve relations among African countries and the African Union. In the course of his visit to Egypt Mr. Chilengi will honor various invitations to confer with various political personalities and give a public lecture on “ Rethinking Education” on the margins of the Festival.

Members of the Bureau of the Second ECOSOCC General Assembly