Africans continue to suffer miserably due to the increasing climate change impact while COPs continue to have long and protracted negotiations, the Pan African Climate Justice Alliance has said.
During the latest conference held in Petersburg Germany, Dr. Augustine Ndjamnshi, Chair of the Technical and Political Committee, PACJA emphasized the troubles that African people have to live with as a result of the impacts of climate emergency.
“I have in mind the picture of my old mother in Cameroon who can no more master the planting seasons and hence can no longer be sure of feeding her grandchildren. I also have in mind the lady from Malawi who has not only lost her house and farmland but also her children to floods; Then there is also this pastoralist in eastern Kenya who wakes up every morning to count his animals that have died because of drought. I have in mind these school children from DR Congo that come to school after a day’s heavy rain just to see that their school has been swept aware by floods water”, said Ndjamnshi.
He stated that the issues of Africa will take centre stage and be presented to the international community, in the spirit of Principle 10 of the Rio Declaration.
The Petersburg Climate Dialogue 2022, was attended by PACJA which stipulated that the next Climate Dialogue in Egypt has true African interests in its outcomes.
The meetings, even though some had been held in Africa, were merely African in the sense that they had been conducted on African soil, but never aired issues concerning Africa. Some of the African countries where the previous COPs were held include Morocco, Kenya, and South Africa.
“We have therefore Baptized the upcoming COP27 as The African People’s COP. This name has carefully been chosen to take into account the aspirations and concerns of the African People,” he said.