Ahead of tomorrow’s opening of the 30th African Union Summit, President Muhammadu Buhari started his four-day engagement in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on Saturday by joining 14 other members of the Peace and Security Council (PSC).

The council is a standing organ of the AU for the prevention, management and resolution of conflicts.

The meeting discussed the persistence of violent conflicts and crisis in some parts of the continent, upsurge of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and refugees, climate change and its consequences as well as the derailment of national development programmes.

The meeting essentially reviewed the situations in Somalia, South Sudan, Libya, Guinea Bissau, the Central African Republic and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

It also discussed the situation in Lake Chad Basin, the regional efforts to combat Boko Haram as well as the situation in Mali and the Sahel region which continue to be a source of deep concern despite efforts by the countries of the region and the United Nations.

The PSC’s major duty is to “conduct early warning and preventive diplomacy, facilitate peace-making, establish peace-support operations and, in certain circumstances, recommend intervention in member states to promote peace, security and stability.” (NAN)