Ndubuisi Francis in Abuja
The Africa Union (AU) on Thursday in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia appointed Nigeria’s Minister of Finance, Mrs. Zainab Shamsuna Ahmed, as the chairperson of the Board of Trustees (BoT) of the AU Peace Fund.
The board has a five-membership configuration, each representing a region on the continent as well as non African members (United Nations and European Union) as international partners.
The Minister of Finance is representing the Western African sub-region on the Board.
In a statement issued by the Special Adviser to the minister on Media and Communications, Mr. Paul Ella Abechi, Ahmed expressed appreciation and commitment towards achieving the agenda of the Special Fund.
The Protocol Relating to the African Union Peace and Security Council (PSC) provides for the establishment of a Special Fund to be known as the Peace Fund with the objective of providing the necessary financial resources for peace support missions and other operational activities relating to peace and security in Africa.
The Peace Fund is an independent international fund for the prevention and management of conflicts, and the promotion of peace in Africa.
The Board of Trustees was established by the Assembly of the Union in July 2016 to ensure strategic coherence, enhanced governance, financial and administrative oversight of the Peace Fund.
The Peace Fund will finance three key priorities, including mediation and preventive diplomacy activities, institutional capacity requirements and peace support operations.
