Help us, but let us do our own peacekeeping

A revolution is taking place among the conflicts and crises unfolding on the African continent: the peoples of Africa, especially through the African Union, have come together to stop the violence. We are asserting ourselves, and we are taking responsibility. From Burundi to Darfur, from the Democratic Republic of Congo to Rwanda, Africa is beginning to take up the challenges of peacekeeping. The EU has been an important partner in helping us along this path, but we have now reached a point of clarity: EU peacekeeping forces are not required in Africa. We can and must shoulder this burden ourselves. Instead, we ask the EU to contribute to our enterprise by helping us to create and strengthen the foundations of African peacekeeping.