South Africa’s International Relations and Co-operation Minister, Ronald Lamola, is heading to Accra, Ghana, this Friday for an emergency African Union (AU) meeting focused on how the bloc funds its operations.

The joint session brings together foreign affairs and finance ministers from across the continent to review proposals on financing the Union and its Peace Fund, as member states look for ways to become more financially self-reliant.

According to Ministerial Spokesperson Phindile Kunene, the talks come at a critical time as African nations grow increasingly uneasy about relying on international donors.

“The session takes place as AU Member States increasingly voice concerns about dependence on external funding sources and the need to minimise the risks associated with prescriptive funding conditions and external influence,” Kunene said. ” The financing of the AU is a discussion that is as urgent as it is timely, given the shrinking pool of external funding. In this fractured geopolitical context, partners we have relied on are redirecting their resources to other priorities.”

Alongside reviewing current funding models, Ministers in Accra will also look at a proposal to deepen partnerships between the AU and African multilateral financial institutions to help fund continental programmes from within.

–ChannelAfrica–