Summit Condemns Unilateral Application, Enforcement of Coercive Measures as Tools of Political, Economic Pressure

The statement further urges the EU and US to lift unilateral coercive sanctions imposed on Eritrea.

Full statement of the summit is stated below.

We, Heads of State and Government of the African Union, assembled on 6 February 2022 at our 35th Ordinary Session in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia;

Recalling the purposes and principles of the Constitutive Act, inter alia, affirming the sovereignty, territorial integrity, and independence of the African Union Member States, as well as the commitment to promote sustainable development at the economic, social and cultural levels, for an integrated and prosperous continent;

Reaffirming the Declaration on Principles of International Law concerning Friendly Relations and Cooperation among States in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations, which states, inter alia, that no State may use or encourage the use of unilateral economic, political or any other type of measures to coerce another State in order to obtain from it the subordination of the exercise of its sovereign rights;

Stressing that unilateral coercive measures and legislation are contrary to international law, international humanitarian law, the United Nations Charter and the norms and principles governing peaceful relations among States;

Welcoming the adoption by the 31st Meeting of the UN General Assembly of the resolution calling on States not to recognise unilateral coercive economic measures, and not to recognize or apply such measures or legislation imposed by any State across territorial boundaries, which were contrary to recognized principles of international law;

Cognisant of the Human Rights Council Resolution 27/21 and Corr. 1 stressing that unilateral coercive measures and legislation are contrary to international law, international humanitarian law, the Charter and the norms and principles governing peaceful relations among States and highlighting that as long-term, these measures may result in social problems and raising humanitarian concerns in the States targeted;

Acknowledging that the socio-economic sanctions are one of the main obstacles impeding implementation of the African Union Agenda 2063 and the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development;

Expressing our grave concern at the negative impact of unilateral coercive measures on the right to development, international relations, trade, investment, cooperation, and peace and stability;

Alarmed by the disproportionate and indiscriminate human costs of unilateral sanctions and their negative effects on the civilian population, in particular women and children, of targeted States;

Deeply concerned at the negative impact of unilateral coercive measures on post-conflict reconstruction and peacebuilding, as well as on African Union 2022 Theme of the Year:  Strengthening Resilience in Nutrition and Food Security on The African Continent: Strengthening Agro-Food Systems, Health and Social Protection Systems for the Acceleration of Human, Social and Economic Capital Development”,

1. STRONGLY CONDEMN the continued unilateral application and enforcement by certain countries of such measures as tools of pressure, including political and economic pressure, against any country, particularly against African Union Member States, with a view to preventing these countries from exercising their right to self-determination;

2. URGE all States to refrain from imposing unilateral coercive measures, and urge concerned States to remove such measures, as they are contrary to the African Union Constitutive Act, United Nations Charter and norm and principles governing peaceful relations among States at all levels, and prevent the full realization of economic and social development of nations while also affecting the full realization of human rights;

3. STRONGLY OBJECT to the extraterritorial nature of those measures which, in addition, threaten the sovereignty of States, and in this context calls upon all States neither to recognize these measures nor to apply them, and to take measures as appropriate, to counteract the extraterritorial application or effects of unilateral coercive measures;

4. URGE the Government of the United States of America to lift the long-standing sanctions imposed on the Government and People of Zimbabwe, to facilitate the socio-economic recovery of the country. Call upon the Government of the Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland to lift all sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe that it inherited when it withdrew from the European Union on 31 January 2020 and all the additional sanctions that it adopted on its own. We acknowledge the steps taken, inter alia, political dialogue and high-level engagements between Zimbabwe and the European Union towards the removal of sanctions. We further urge that the European Union takes the requisite actions to ensure that all remaining sanctions are terminated;

5. CALL UPON the United States of America to lift all unilateral coercive measures imposed on the Government, its Leadership and People of South Sudan which are counterproductive to efforts promoting post conflict reconstruction and peacebuilding, and that due consideration be made by the United Nations to lift the Arms Embargo imposed on that country;

6. URGE the European Union and the United States of America to lift the unilateral coercive sanctions imposed on the State of Eritrea;

7. MANDATE the Panel of the Wise, once again, to lobby the Capitals of those countries that have imposed illegal economic and other sanctions against African Union Member States, for their immediate and unconditional removal;

8. REAFFIRM its solidarity with the People of Zimbabwe, South Sudan and Eritrea in exercising their sovereign right to determine their own destiny.