Africa faces multiple crises: African Union chief

DAKAR, Oct. 25 (Xinhua) -- Africa is confronted with multiple crises related to terrorism, internal conflicts, climate and health, the African Union (AU) Chairperson and Senegalese president Macky Sall said here on Monday.

"We must admit that the picture is not bright", Sall acknowledged at the opening ceremony of the 8th edition of the Dakar International Forum on Peace and Security in Africa, held in Dakar with the theme "Africa in the face of exogenous shocks: challenges of stability and sovereignty."

"The African continent has now become one of the epicenters of terrorism," he noted, stressing the terrorism on the continent is not solely an African affair.

"To bring about confidence and acceptance, multilateralism must serve the interests of all," said Sall, who believes that the threats to peace and stability also lie in the deep economic crisis shaking the world.

He hoped that the High-Level Advisory Board on Effective Multilateralism, set up by the UN Secretary General, would be useful in examining major issues, such as peace and security, climate, the international financial architecture and the digital space.

The two-day forum is an international meeting on peace and security, during which African leaders of state and governments, related actors meet and discuss with stakeholders and experts from various backgrounds.