On Monday, a Pan-African movement of people and organizations working for peace, justice, and dignity, Africans Rising has asked African leaders, especially those within the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), to respect the legal and constitutional terms of two mandate limits.
“They should not serve beyond their second term in office,” Africans Rising said in a statement issued by Prince Akphar, Engagement Officer, Africans Rising, in the wake of the movement’s Second West African Summit for Democracy and Good Governance held in Benin.
“Any elected official is a representative of the people, and as such, they should be responsive to the demands of those whom they represent,” Africans Rising emphasized.
Participants from nine African countries and various researchers and activists attended the Benin summit and civil society groups like UST-Togo, Tournons La Page, CREA (Centre de Recherche sur l’État en Afrique), and Africans Rising.
Africans Rising has launched a special campaign for African Presidents not to serve beyond their second term in office. In the Benin meeting, the Pan African activists met with the President of Benin, Patrice Talon, on the Summit’s final day.
The activists presented President Talon with a symbol, which he used to declare his intentions of not going beyond the constitutionally mandated two terms.
Living by its 2016 Kilimanjaro Declaration, Africans Rising had provided support to various members and organizations responding to political crises over the years.
They encompass solidarity missions in Togo, the Gambia, and Zambia.
The movement had also promoted the ideals of the African Creative Actions Network to hold African leaders accountable on issues of environment, political stability, and transparent and fair elections.
Currently, it has over 30,000 members across the continent and in the Diaspora working together to build local, national, continental, and global campaigns towards expanding justice, peace, and dignity for all Africans wherever they live.
