Pan-African Parliament Spotlights Integration, Governance, and Peace in Thursday Plenary

In a packed Thursday plenary session at its seat in Midrand, the Pan-African Parliament (PAP) turned its focus to critical reports shaping Africa’s future, notably the institutional outcome of its joint meeting with the African Union Peace and Security Council (PSC), the African Peer Review Mechanism’s (APRM) synthesis report on early warning for conflict prevention, and a thematic report on PAP’s role in the African integration process.

The deliberations, rich in political clarity, institutional critique, and calls to action highlighted the urgency of rethinking PAP’s mandate, strengthening AU partnerships, and ensuring that African solutions remain central to Africa’s problems.

Three Reports, One Vision for Africa’s Future

The session featured:

1.     The Report on the Joint Consultative Meeting between the PSC and PAP, held 17–18 July 2025 in Midrand presented by Hon. Rahab Mukami Wachira (Kenya), Rapporteur of the Committee on Cooperation, International Relations and Conflict Resolution.

2.     The APRM Synthesis Report on Early Warning for Conflict Prevention, drawing from over a decade of Country Review Reports across Africa.

3.     The Thematic Report on the Role of PAP in the African Integration Process, delivered by Prof. Dandi Gnamou, emphasizing the need to ratify the Malabo Protocol and transform PAP from a symbolic body to a legislative powerhouse.

Diverse and Passionate Contributions from Parliamentarians

Members of Parliament responded with forceful interventions that reinforced, critiqued, and expanded on the reports presented.

On Peace, Security, and Foreign Interference

       I.         Hon. Khadija Arouhal (Morocco) warned against false narratives propagated by fictitious organizations and emphasized Morocco’s strategic initiatives such as the Atlantic Initiative and the Nigeria–Morocco Gas Pipeline as foundations for peace and economic empowerment.

     II.         Hon. Cheniti Awatef (Tunisia) stressed the inseparability of peace and dignity, highlighting Tunisia’s success in counter-terrorism and the urgency of enacting laws to prevent foreign resource exploitation.

    III.         Hon. Ben Salah Aymen (Tunisia) linked migration and human trafficking to economic instability, urging PAP to empower youth and women and legislate against root causes of displacement.

   IV.         Hon. Behdja Lammali (Algeria) stated emphatically: “No peace, no progress.” She decried foreign manipulation, defended Algeria’s principled stance on Western Sahara, and reaffirmed Algeria’s support for Palestine and continental unity.

    V.         Hon. Mohammed Segres (Algeria) expanded on Algeria’s anti-colonial legacy, clarifying its consistent support for sovereignty, liberation movements, and African development through a $1 million regional growth initiative.

   VI.         Hon. Fateh Boutbig (Algeria) noted the persistent root causes of conflict—including coups, unemployment, and illicit arms flows—and praised Africa’s resilience while warning against becoming proxies for external powers.

 VII.         Hon. H.E. Safia Elmi Djibril (Djibouti) raised the neglected issue of youth drug addiction as a driver of conflict, warned against Gulf state exploitation in Sudan and Djibouti, and asked why the AU remains silent on these threats.

VIII.         Hon. Amina Ali Idriss (Chad) passionately declared: “We always mention Agenda 2063… but this cannot be attained with war,” lambasting institutional inaction amid ongoing African conflicts.

   IX.         Hon. Sen. Alphonse Ngoyi Kasanji (DRC) expressed unease about the DRC–Rwanda peace deal signed outside Africa, questioning the AU’s silence and calling for authentic, African-led peace processes.

On Governance, APRM, and Institutional Reform

a)     Hon. Abdallah Barkat Ibrahim (Djibouti) praised APRM’s potential but urged its recommendations be backed by national implementation structures and broader membership.

b)     Hon. Mohammed Amroun (Algeria) called APRM’s report a “warning cry,” urging that early warning systems must be linked to action and that mediation must be African-led.

c)     Hon. Jennifer Wibabara (Rwanda) highlighted Rwanda’s Gacaca and Abunzi systems as models of community-based reconciliation.

d)     Hon. Esther Passaris (Kenya) described APRM as a mirror and map, warning that youth will hold leaders accountable not in debate but through protests and votes. She also linked peacebuilding to economic justice, tax reform, and climate equity.

e)     Hon. Nicaise Kotchami Fagnon (Benin) emphasized the role of the private sector in stability and pushed for long-term SME legislation, vocational training, and enhanced APRM implementation.

f)      Hon. Victoria Kingstone (Malawi) asked: “What specific actions will we commit to by the end of this session?” She commended the PAP media team and insisted the time for speeches is over—“It’s time for decisive action.”

On Institutional Legitimacy and African Solutions

1.      Hon. Roger Nkodo Dang (Cameroon) called for institutional self-reflection, warning against excessive blame on colonialism. He criticized the weakening of PAP’s original mandate, lamented the non-ratification of the Malabo Protocol, and called for stronger legislative authority, especially in election monitoring and mediation.

2.      Hon. Khadija Arouhal (Morocco) and Hon. Passaris (Kenya) echoed the need for sovereignty and economic resilience as foundations of peace and continental dignity.

The Role of PAP in Integration: Time for Parliamentarisation

Prof. Dandi Gnamou’s report called PAP’s role in integration “marginal but reformable.” It pointed to the urgent need to:

       I.         Ratify the Malabo Protocol to empower PAP with legislative authority;

     II.         Engage in low-sovereignty areas (education, environment, health) to demonstrate effectiveness;

    III.         Establish cooperative mechanisms with national parliaments and RECs for policy harmonization.

Conclusion: A Parliament in Search of Power, Purpose, and Partnership

Thursday’s plenary session was both a reckoning and a rallying call. From warnings against external meddling to appeals for youth empowerment, members demanded an African Union that listens, acts, and legislates with legitimacy.

As Hon. Esther Passaris concluded, “African solutions for Africa is what we should all strive to achieve.”

The challenge now is to transform recommendations into resolutions, and resolutions into reform.