By The Mast February 10, 2021. THE African Union says it regrets the setback in Cuba-US relations. For the twelfth consecutive time, the Assembly of the African Union composed of the Heads of State and government of Africa adopted the “Resolution on lifting the economic, trade and financial blockade imposed on the Republic of Cuba by the United States of America”.
On February 7, African leaders concluded their 34th two-day ordinary summit held in virtual format which elected the new directive of the African Union Commission, and where they discussed various issues of vital importance on the continent, with an emphasis on combating COVID-19, conflict prevention and management, as well as ongoing development initiatives armed by agenda 2063.
The text expressed deep concern about the continuity of the blockade and expressed its full support for the resolution adopted each year by the UN General Assembly on the subject. Elsewhere in the document, the African Union regretted the setback in Cuba-US relations and called on the US to lift the unjustified and lengthy sanctions.
African countries also considered the negative impact of the implementation of the extraterritorial Helms Burton Act, in particular the full implementation of Title III, as well as verifying the aggravated impact of sanctions at the time of the current COVID-19 pandemic on the Caribbean archipelago.
The Resolution also indicated that the blockade was the main obstacle for Cuba to achieve the objectives contained in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The Union reaffirmed Africa’s solidarity with the Cuban people.
