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Dr Mohamed Ibn Chambas – Diplomat extraordinaire …champions AU’s agenda to ‘Silencing the Guns’
● Dr Mohamed Ibn Chambas
Number of Ghanaians have excelled and continue to excel on the diplomatic missions and other international assignments. Some notable names would readily come to mind and that of Dr Mohamed Ibn Chambas is no exception.
His portfolio has grown over the years with the most recent being his appointment as High Representative for Silencing the Guns by African Union (AU) Chairperson H.E. Moussa Faki Mahamat.
Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and Dr.
Chambas in discussions on
peace and security in Africa
The chairperson, making the announcement, was thrilled that Dr. Chambas’ outstanding credentials and commitment to Pan-Africanism and Agenda 2063 would help him succeed in his new position.
Silencing the Guns is an initiative of the AU promulgated in 2016 to ultimately end all forms of conflicts on the African Continent by the year 2020. However, due to many setbacks the initiative could not be achieved as a result the AU extended the initiative to 2030.
In order to implement the AU Master Roadmap on Practical Steps to Silence the Guns, the release states that the High Representative will prioritise promoting and energising advocacy, mediation, and preventive diplomacy as directed by the Chairperson of the Commission.
Portfolio
Dr. Mohamed Ibn Chambas is a politician, attorney, diplomat, and scholar from Ghana.
From 2014 to 2021, he held the positions of Head of the UN Office for West Africa (UNOWAS) and Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for West Africa.
Between 2013 and 2014, Dr. Chambas served as the Joint Chief Mediator (JCM) and Joint Special Representative (JSR) of the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID), respectively.
He held the position of Secretary General of the African Caribbean and Pacific Group (ACP) from 2010 until 2013. .
Dr. Chambas presided over the 15-nation Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) from 2006 to 2009 before taking the helm of the ACP.
Beginning in February 2002, while ECOWAS established a Secretariat, he again served as the organisation’s Executive Secretary.
Dr. Chambas, a former member of the Ghanaian parliament, worked as the country’s Deputy Foreign Minister in 1987 and the deputy minister of education in-charge of tertiary education from 1997 to 2000.
He played a key role in the ECOWAS mediation efforts in Liberia between 1991 and 1996 and actively took part in the negotiations that resulted in the agreements that ended the Liberian civil war.
Advocate
As the Head of United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS), Dr
Mohamed Ibn Chambas, urged government and stakeholders to provide more support for women leaders and groups so they could continue their “transformative works” towards ensuring peace and security on the African continent and beyond.
He noted that women, over the years, had played leading roles in the mitigation of conflict but their impact was still limited due to inadequate resource allocation, hence the need to scale up institutional support.
The Special Representative of the Secretary General was speaking at the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre in Accra to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security in West Africa and the Sahel.
Held under the theme: “Beyond 2020: Building Local Capacity to Advance the WPS Agenda in West Africa and the Sahel”, the symposium brought together experts from the sub-region to discuss progress made as well as areas to improve upon.
Call for gender parity
Dr Chambas indicated that immense achievement had been made in the implementation of the resolution for the past 20 years but there was still more to be done, especially for women in peace and security.
While acknowledging the role of African women leaders in peace processes on the continent, he noted that women represented only two per cent of mediators in peace processes. That, he emphasised was woefully inadequate hence the need for gender parity to remain the core of peace and stability discussions on the continent and beyond.
“We have to back our actions with the requisite financial and political support and give more opportunities for women and the youth to advance sustainable development and peace”.
“We need to work and invest in gender parity and women empowerment to achieve the goal of preventing conflict and ensuring peace and prosperity in the region,” he said.
However, he said the inclusion of women in peace process should not only be about “increasing the numbers” but should as well focus on the protection of women’s rights and interest and seeking justice for the vulnerable
By Portia Hutton-Mills
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ASWIM lauds Prof Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang
The Association of Women in the Media, (ASWIM) has congratulated Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang on her historic achievement as Ghana’s first female Vice President.
The association said her trailblazing journey with sterling accomplishments from academia to politics, is undoubtedly, a vivid inspiration to countless women and girls across Ghana and Africa.
This was contained in a statement signed by its president, Mrs Mavis Kitcher, and copied to The Spectator on Tuesday in Accra.
“ASWIM celebrates your remarkable career, marked by numerous firsts, including the first female Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cape Coast, (UCC), and the first female to hold a professional chair in Ghana, (UCC),” the statement said.
It said the accomplishments of Prof Opoku- Agyemang were clear testament to the brilliance, resilience and resourceful nature of the complete beautiful African woman.
“As she takes on this new role, ASWIM proudly lauds her commitment to education, women’s empowerment, distinguished public service and patriotism and is very confident that her pursuit of excellence, love for humanity, humility, decency, modesty and commitment to the welfare of the vulnerable will characterise Ghana’s political leadership and public service,” the statement added.
By Jemima Esinam Kuatsinu
Entertainment
Demolition of Fantasy Dome unfair — Mark Okraku-Mantey
Months after the Fantasy Dome was dismantled to make way for construction at the Ghana International Trade Fair site, the Deputy Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Mr Mark Okraku-Mantey, has expressed concern over the manner the facility was destroyed.
In an interview on Daybreak Hitz with Andy Dosty, Mr Okraku-Mantey criticised the handling of the dome’s dismantling, suggesting that it could have been done without causing damage.
“I don’t think that leadership gave instructions that they should do what happened. The structure was a prefab but I hear the people destroyed it. That one, we cannot defend it. It is unfair to him (owner). Sometimes, you give instructions and people will go and do things that will make you look bad,” he stated.
When asked about any punitive measure against the workers responsible for the destruction, Mr Okraku-Mantey clarified that the Trade Fair does not fall under his ministry.
He said he had previously contacted the owner, Leslie Quaynor, to discuss relocating the dome, and even suggested the National Museum as a potential site, though it was too small.
The demolition of the 20,000-seater Fantasy Dome occurred on March 16, 2024.
According to Dr Agnes Adu, CEO of the Ghana Trade Fair Company Limited, the action was taken after multiple notices were given to Quaynor to vacate the premises for redevelopment, as per their tenancy agreement.
Dr Adu noted that all previous tenants had complied except for the Fantasy Dome.
Quaynor, in an interview with JoyNews, confirmed that his lease had ended, and was in the process of relocating the dome.
He had requested an extension, which was denied, leading him to seek a writ and an injunction from an Accra High Court to halt the demolition.
Despite this, the demolition proceeded, causing significant damage to the structure.
Quaynor described the incident as a major setback, not only for his business but also for the entertainment industry, which relies on venues like the Fantasy Dome.
