UN report finds Africa generally more peaceful but still facing threats

Africa is getting better at resolving armed conflicts and promoting peace but its outlook remains uncertain given the prevailing widespread extreme poverty, HIV/AIDS pandemic and continuing high rates of youth unemployment, Secretary-General Kofi Annan says in his latest report on the continent's fortunes.

In a progress report to the General Assembly on the causes of conflict in Africa and the promotion of durable peace and sustainable development there, Mr. Annan says the gloomy picture of 1998 - when 14 States endured armed conflict or civil strife and another 11 were experiencing severe political crises - "has changed dramatically and positively over the past six years."

Now, only six nations face armed conflict and "very few others" are undergoing major political crises, the Secretary-General says, adding that "most African countries enjoy relatively stable political conditions are governed by democratically elected regimes."

Peace agreements have been brokered or negotiations are continuing in many nations, and regional groups such as the African Union (AU) and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) are playing a greater role in carrying out these tasks.

But Mr. Annan states that the steady progress being made in those areas is being undermined by the "modest and slow" progress in such fields as ensuring the independence of the judiciary and promoting public transparency and accountability.

The bigger concern, however, is the failure to make major inroads in reducing poverty, despite the implementation of the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) - a pact for the continent's advancement adopted in 2001. This problem is being exacerbated by the rapid rates of urbanization across Africa and the relative lack of arable land.

The Secretary-General calls for the acceleration of NEPAD to promote economic development, voicing his particular concern at the fortune of post-conflict countries.

He says the issue of tackling poverty is especially urgent because HIV/AIDS has the potential to destabilize many States by robbing them of numerous civil servants, professionals and other productive members of the workforce.

"While proving to be a devastating obstacle to development, the pandemic is also taking a heavy toll on Africa's women who are the main caregivers for family members living with HIV/AIDS," he states.

Mr. Annan also warns that the "crisis of youth unemployment" is a potential threat to future peace and stability - particularly in countries that have only just emerged from conflict and where disarmament and reintegration programmes have only been partially successful.