Second Sani Abacha Foundation Lecture

"The overriding objective of the [OAU] Mechanism is to put at the disposal of Africa an institutional framework within which conflicts in the continent can be considered and resolved. The Mechanism is both an empowering instrument and a political statement that Africa is now more than ever before resolved to take the challenge and place itself at the centre of all efforts at resolving its conflicts. The thrust of the mechanism is to identify conflictual situations early enough to be able to anticipate and prevent them before they degenerate into violent conflicts." - Dr. Salim, November 16, 1997