The Chairperson of the African Union Commission H.E. Dr. Jean Ping has pointed out the need for Africans to go for African solutions to African problems, as the most sustainable means of sustaining peace and progress in the continent. "We are not saying that African problems need only African solution; what we are saying is that African problems need African solution with the assistance of the international community not by ignoring the continent", he argued, adding that it is impossible to solve African problems by ignoring the Africans.

Mr Jean Ping said this while speaking to the press after an audience with the Gambian leader, His Excellency Sheikh Professor Alhaji Dr Yahya AJJ Jammeh on Wednesday at State House.

Speaking about the audience, the AU Chairperson said that their meeting was centered on issues prevailing in the region mainly the situation of Guinea Bissau, as he , the Gambian leader, is in position to give better advice, being somebody who knows the region. "I also went to Guinea Bissau so I was very happy about the advice the President gave me about the situation [there]. I am going to send some of our technicians again in the sub-region to continue to seek advice from the President", he said.

When asked about the steps the AU is taking in Guinea Bissau, Mr Ping replied that he met all the stakeholders including the prime minister, the army, the minister of Defence, the civil society, the international communities with ambassadors accredited there among others. "I think it is a good meeting. I heard that the situation is now under control; we are going at least for the moment at a normalization situation", Jean Ping stated. He however indicated that there are still some problems, mainly problems including the reformation of the army, "so we talked about all these issues with them and also with the Gambian president; he has a better evaluation on the situation in the sub-region, not only Guinea Bissau".

The African Union Commission Chairperson also said that Africa is performing very well in the fields of economics, but was quick to decry the current spate of conflicts ravaging the continent.

"We are now having a high rate of economic growth in the continent – the average is about 5.5 percent to six percent with more than 10 countries having seven percent to 11 percent growth rate; like Ethiopia is almost 11 percent", he noted.

He asserted that this year is probably the worst year ever in the continent with the crises of Libya, Ivory Coast, Democratic Republic of Congo, the Somalia problem which have been there for more than 20 years, and Sudan, etc." While stressing that they have been confronted with tremendous problems, the AU Commission chairperson said they have to solve them because as he puts it, one will never have a sustainable peace without development, or a sustainable development without peace.

By Alhagi Ceesay, Department of Information Services