ALGERIAN'S FOREIGN POLICY 

High-Level Conference on Peace in Africa, unique opportunity to defend African positions

ORAN- The 9th High-Level Conference on Peace and Security in Africa constitutes a "unique opportunity" for the African countries to strengthen efforts and coordination in order to defend the common African positions within the United Nations Security Council, Chairman of the African Union Peace and Security Council for the month of December and Nigeria's Foreign Minister Geoffrey Onyeama said Wednesday in Oran.

Onyeama, who chaired the opening ceremony of this high-level Conference, stressed in his speech that this meeting "constitutes a unique opportunity for all the African countries, Peace and Security Council and notably for the A3 Group, to exchange and strengthen their efforts and their coordination in order to defend the common African positions on the issues of peace and security interesting Africa, within the United Nations Security Council."

The Nigerian minister expressed his gratitude to A3 Group (Ghana, Gabon and Kenya) which are still defending the common positions, interests and concerns of the African countries on peace and security issues, notably as part of the decision-making processes of the UN Security Council.

He also expressed, on behalf of the Peace and Security Council, "a collective commitment to supporting the new member of A3, Mozambique, which will replace Kenya as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council as from the next term of office."

He extended his thanks to the Kenyan government for the efforts it made during its term of office at the UN Security Council while noting that this 9th Conference will benefit from Kenya's experience.

Onyeama said that Oran's Conference is being held at the right time, given the challenges that the continent is facing, notably "the increasing proliferation of "illicit small arms and light weapons, terrorism and extremism, as well as the recent orientations of unconstitutional changes of government in some Africa, countries."