African leaders were urged Saturday to step up and tackle the myriad conflicts and political crises blighting the continent of 1.4 billion people. Opening the African Union's two-day summit, AU Commission chief Moussa Faki Mahamat painted a "bleak picture" with a "litany of difficulties" confronting many countries. The Great Lakes region of central Africa was, he said, witnessing a worsening of its "eternal crises" fuelled by the conflict in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. "Africa cannot remain arms folded and not work to promote genuine peace in the region," Faki added. "Member states are looking inward, closely protecting their sovereign prerogatives rather than investing in collective security."
