CAPE TOWN, April 22 (Xinhua) -- South African President Cyril Ramaphosa will prioritize regional peace and stability at the upcoming African Union (AU) Troika Summit in Egypt, his office said on Monday.
The president will attend the emergency summit to contribute towards the AU's stated goal of silencing the guns by 2020, the Presidency said in a statement as Ramaphosa left for Egypt to attend the summit, which will focus on the political and security situations in Sudan and Libya, presidential spokesperson Khusela Diko said.
Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi has called the AU Troika Summit in his capacity as chairman of the AU. The AU Troika consists of Egypt, current chair; South Africa, incoming chair; and Rwanda, outgoing chair.
The summit will also be attended by AU Commission Chairperson Moussa Mahamat Faki, who is expected to report on AU initiatives undertaken to resolve the crises in Sudan and Libya, according to Diko.
Faki has just concluded a visit to Sudan.
South Africa, which is serving as non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) for 2019-2020, has already put the political and security challenges in Libya and Sudan on the agenda of the UNSC.
The AU is also shifting its attention to the changing situations in the two African countries.
On April 11, Sudan's defense minister, Gen. Ahmed Awad Ibn Auf, appeared on state television and announced the military's detention of al-Bashir, the suspension of the constitution, and the start of a two-year transitional period to be overseen by the military and followed by elections. A three-month state of emergency was also declared in the country.
The situation in Libya is also deteriorating. The eastern-based army, led by Khalifa Haftar, has launched a military campaign to take over western Libya, particularly Tripoli, where the United Nations-backed government is based.
