The Secretary General of the United Nations Antonio Guterres, has called for an end to the longstanding exploitation of Africa’s natural resources, insisting that the continent must take primary ownership of its wealth.
Mr Guterres made the remarks while visiting the African Union Commission’s Chairman, Mahmoud Ali Yousouf, at the AU Headquarters in Addis Ababa.
The meeting formed part of the 10th African Union–United Nations Annual Conference, where leaders are deliberating on key continental and global issues.
The UN Secretary General decried a long history of resource extraction in Africa, where value is generated abroad while environmental degradation is left behind on the continent.
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“For too long, Africa’s resources have been extracted, the value captured elsewhere, and the environmental damage left behind. No more exploitation. No more plundering,” he said.
He stressed that Africa must prioritise the welfare of its people in the management of its resources, ensuring that the benefits are retained within the continent.
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“The people of Africa must benefit—first and most—from the resources of Africa,” Guterres added.
The engagement between the AU and the UN is expected to strengthen cooperation on development, governance, and sustainable resource management across Africa.
