The African Union Commission has appointed former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo to support peace and stability efforts in the Horn of Africa, the continental body said on Thursday.
The Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, said Obasanjo would engage with relevant stakeholders and parties to help build confidence, sustain dialogue and support ongoing efforts toward lasting peace, stability and reconciliation in the region.
“President Obasanjo brings unparalleled experience, wisdom, and credibility to this important assignment,” Youssouf said in a statement issued from Addis Ababa.
Obasanjo is widely known in South Sudan for his prominent role in regional and continental peace efforts following the outbreak of civil war in December 2013.
In March 2014, the African Union appointed him to chair a five-member Commission of Inquiry tasked with investigating human rights abuses committed during the conflict.
The panel was mandated to examine atrocities committed by both government and opposition forces and recommend measures aimed at accountability, reconciliation, healing and institutional reforms.
As head of the AU Commission of Inquiry on South Sudan, Obasanjo led missions to Juba and opposition held areas, where the team met President Salva Kiir, opposition leader Riek Machar, government officials, civil society groups and displaced communities as part of efforts to document violations and support peace initiatives.
The commission’s final report, released by the African Union in 2015, called for accountability for war crimes and crimes against humanity and recommended the establishment of a hybrid court for South Sudan.
The report also emphasized reconciliation and institutional reforms as key pillars for lasting peace in South Sudan.
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