Addressing the Joint Retreat of the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) and African Union (AU) Peace and Security Council in Umhlanga, on Monday, KwaZulu-Natal Premier Nomusa Dube-Ncube urged African leaders to push the frontiers of peace and stability on the continent.

The retreat brings together African government leaders and youth peace ambassadors.

Dube-Ncube reaffirmed the province’s commitment to working towards advancing peace and stability in Africa while supporting the efforts of the AU Peace and Security Council and the APRM to address challenges facing the continent.

“Over the last 20 years the African Union has been true to its pan-African origins as it has come to terms with its expanded mandate and worked hard to make the lives of Africans better for all.  It is my belief that over the next 20 years the African Union will continue to go from strength to strength, and that we will all look upon an Africa that is thriving, free of conflict and at peace with itself,” she said.

The retreat comes soon after South Africa’s successful hosting of the Ethiopian peace talks. South Africa has been involved in meditation and negotiations in Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Madagascar, Ivory Coast and others.

“We are hopeful that Ethiopia never knows conflict again as the hosting of the recently concluded peace talks is the continuation of our government’s tradition of actively participating in conflict resolution in Africa. We are indeed proud to add Ethiopia to that list. My hope is that we are able to stamp out any and all threats to peace in Africa and around the world. It is my belief that the occasions such as this one will help push the frontiers of peace,” she said.