CommitteesGA Committees
ECONOMIC & SOCIAL COUNCILS
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African Union (AU)Chairs: Jeremiah Markose & Nathan Averboukh Email: [email protected] & [email protected] Topic A: Combatting Terrorism in the Sahel Starting in 2007, Al-Qaeda and affiliated terrorist organizations started to sponsor insurgents within the Sahara-Sahel region, particularly in Algeria. For the first four years, it was relatively low scale. However, in 2011, insurgence started to pop up in Northern Mali, based on the premise that the Tuaregs, the group that dominates the area, wanted independence from Bamako. With this, despite foreign intervention, insurgence started to spiral out of control in the region, with parts of Mali, Algeria, Libya, Burkina Faso, Niger, Nigeria, Ivory Coast, Cameroon, and Chad facing conflict with terrorists and insurgents, primarily Islamists backed by the Islamic State and Boko Haram. This conflict played a role in prompting the Coup Belt, a term for the recent coup epidemic stretching from Guinea to Sudan. The political instability, as well as active military action, is a threat on multiple levels for civilians and other African powers alike. The African Union has recognized the threat that terrorism in the region plays, but, to date, has not done much to counter it. It is imperative that something be done about the situation before it escalates to an unmanageable extent. Topic B: The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) Dispute The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), a 6-gigawatt hydroelectric power project under construction on the Blue Nile River, has lead to heated conflict between Ethiopia, Egypt, and Sudan. Ethiopia sees this construction project as the key to energy independence and economic gain, while Egypt and Sudan worry about how this project affects water security and their agriculture. The roots of this conflict date back to agreements made during colonial times, favoring Egypt and Sudan’s water rights over the Nile, without taking into account upstream countries like Ethiopia. The Nile River is essential for millions of people spanning many countries throughout Africa, such as Uganda, Tanzania, and Kenya as part of the Nile Basin. Negotiations have currently stalled, which increases tensions and conflict. Through debate, delegates must work towards creating a policy framework for managing water resources, addressing the concerns of all affected countries and ensuring cooperative and sustainable usage of the Nile River. |
