Africa MPs push for regional peace force

ADDIS ABABA

African legislators are now pushing for the establishment of a standby force to respond fast to conflicts in the region.

The move came as Somali MPs at the Pan African Parliament demanded for the immediate withdrawal of Kenyan forces and other Amisom forces from Somalia.

They instead want an independent force to be deployed in the country.

The withdrawal, they argued, will reduce the level of suspicion between the countries in conflict and those contributing the peace keeping forces to regional organs such as Amisom.

Nominated Senator Janet Ongera, who is leading the Kenyan team in the ongoing Pan African MPs conference in Addis Ababa, said that it was time the AU moved to establish its own peace keeping force due to the increasing cases of conflict in the region.

AU LEGAL INSTRUMENTS

The conference is deliberating on the promotion, domestication and implementation of the African Union Legal Instruments for the Eastern regions.

She however claimed that the African military should operate professionally in order to provide adequate military support.

“There are countries where the military is misused by those in authority. In Kenya for example, the government in power deploys the military without consulting Parliament. This is not right,” Ms Ongera told the conference.

Nairobi Women Representative Rachael Shebesh said that Kenya has suffered more in the Somali conflict for stepping in to help stabilise the lawless neighbour.

Meanwhile, the African Union is now finalising plans to establish a 275 member continental Parliament whose membership will be drawn from outside the existing national assemblies.

Current sitting Pan African MPs nominated by their national assemblies and senates will be replaced by independently elected members from outside the existing parliaments.

Over 100 Pan African legislators are meeting in Ethiopia.