Nuclear energy decarbonised option for sustainable development in Africa - CSOs

Some Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) have underscored nuclear energy as an option for the elimination of carbon dioxide emissions for sustainable development on the African continent.

At a seminar organised by the West Africa Network for Peacebuilding (WANEP) in Accra, representatives of the CSOs from Ghana, South Africa and Ukraine also urged the African Union to lead the way for safer nuclear energy development. 

The CSOs also advocated for better protection of children, especially during wars and fewer opportunities for nuclear-armed states that threatened disarmed nations through the reform of the United Nations Security Council. 

The seminar themed: “The African Peace Mission and Ukraine Peace Formula: Strategic Engagements on Regional Security, Nuclear Safety, and Human Rights,” was held by WANEP in conjunction with the Desmond and Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation, the Democratic Institute Foundation (DIF), Institute of Justice and Reconciliation and the Ukrainian Association of South Africa. 

It focused on topics such as the impact of the Russian invasion of Ukraine on peace and security in Africa, nuclear safety during military invasion as well as forceful deportation of children in Ukraine. 

Research Director at the Democratic Initiatives Foundation, Prof. Olexity Haran described Russia’s invasion of Ukraine as illegal and called for an immediate end to the war. 

"There is a diplomatic pressure which should be put on the oppresser in the interest of global peace. What Russia is doing in Ukraine is actually dangerous for security in the world. This is precedent for the whole world and for Africa as well," he said. 

For his part, Head of Peacebuilding Interventions Programme at the Institute of Justice and Reconciliation, Prof. Tim Murithi said although the African continent was heavily affected by conflicts, Africans still had something to offer in terms of peace mediation.

He mentioned that in 2023, a group of four African heads of State led by President Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa were in Kyiv and Saint Petersburg, as part of the African Peace Mission with the objective to find ways to address the Rusian invasion of Ukraine and the African leaders put forward a 10-point peace plan to identify how the parties could begin to de-escalate the crisis in that region.

"The African initiatiative is welcomed and should be acknowledged as an important contribution for laying the foundation for peacemaking in this very challenging conflict that has affected children, women and many displaced communities in Ukraine," he said.

"The Africa Peace Mission is an example of Africa's agency in global affairs and we should, as Africans celebrate this intervention and acknowledge that Africa also has something to contribute towards international relations. As Africans we need to remain engaged with this crisis."

"The sentiments by many Africans who are not really familiar with what is going on in Ukraine think that this is a European conflict and it has nothing to do with Africa, but as human beings and therefore, we should continue to enegage with these kinds of issues," he added.

Regional Coordinator, Research and Capacity Building, WANEP,Dr Festus Kofi Aubyn in his welcome address, said the Russia-Ukraine war had brought devastations, loss of lives, displacement of civilians, violations of human rights and huge sufferings to civilians; stating that its impact on Africa, especially when it comes to food and energy security could not be easily underestimated. 

"The situation today is a stack re .,minder of the urgent need for a negotiated diplomatic solution to end the war through an innovative and a common strategic approach and political engagement,” he said.