Addis Ababa — - The Government of Japan has donated USD 3.24 million to the African Union (AU) Peace Fund to support AU efforts to help eliminate Ebola Virus Disease in West Africa. The funds will be used, among other things, to address the shortage of movable prefabricated houses for the African Union Support mission to the Ebola Outbreak in West Africa (ASEOWA), in the affected countries. Following finalization of the grant agreement by exchange of correspondence, the AU Commissioner for Peace and Security, Amb. Smail Chergui, today received Japan's Ambassador to Ethiopia and Permanent Representative to the African Union, Ambassador Kazuhiro Suzuki.
On behalf of the Chairperson of the AU Commission, Dr. Dlamini Zuma, the Commissioner expressed appreciation to the Japanese Government and People for their continuous support to the AU's endeavors to promote peace, security and stability in Africa. He recalled that both the AU Peace and Security Council and the UN Security Council have declared Ebola Virus Disease as a threat to peace and security, and have urged the international community to work together to stop the spread of the virus.
In that regard, Commissioner Chergui stated: "Health experts have reminded us that the only way to win the battle against Ebola is to bring down the infection rate to zero. With the support of our international partners, we are making good progress towards achieving that goal. Today's donation will significantly strengthen our resolve and accelerate our progress towards zero Ebola infection in West Africa and throughout the continent."
On his part, Ambassador Suzuki stated that Japan attaches great importance to its relationship with Africa and appreciates the crucial role of the AU in promoting peace, security and stability in the continent. He added that within the broad framework of the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD), Japan will continue to support Africa in its efforts to end armed conflict, improve the health and education of its people, and achieve sustainable development. "Africa and the African Union can count on Japan," the Ambassador stated.
