African Emergency Military to Be Created, AU Head Says

African emergency military plans will be underway after the African Union said Monday it would create a new force to handle rebellions, uprisings, and other conflicts on the continent.
African Emergency Military to Be Created, AU Head Says
Delegates arrive in the main plenary hall for a session of the African Union (AU) on March 18, 2013 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Sean Gallup/Getty Images
Jack Phillips
Updated:

African emergency military plans will be underway after the African Union said Monday it would create a new force to handle rebellions, uprisings, and other conflicts on the continent.

African Union Chairman and Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn said the African Capacity for Immediate Response to Crises force would gain contributions from volunteer countries.

“Many countries have volunteered to contribute so that anything that happens in Africa, including an unconstitutional change of government, should be averted. This will be taken very seriously,” Hailemariam told Reuters.

Uganda, Ethiopia, and South Africa have pledged to send troops to contribute to the force.

But Desalegn said that “almost all countries have agreed that we will have rapid response capability in Africa,” according to AFP.

Over the past two years, the African Union has been forced to deal with coups in Mali and Guinea-Bissau, fighting in Mali and Nigeria, and rebel uprisings in the Central African Republic and the Congo.

The African Union has faced criticism for not acting swiftly enough to deal with the conflicts and uprisings.

Jack Phillips
Jack Phillips
Breaking News Reporter
Jack Phillips is a breaking news reporter who covers a range of topics, including politics, U.S., and health news. A father of two, Jack grew up in California's Central Valley. Follow him on X: https://twitter.com/jackphillips5
twitter
Related Topics