Former President John Dramani Mahama has advised the Africa Union (AU) member states to prevent the resurgence of unconstitutional changes of government by reacting much more swiftly to ensuing crisis.
“There is the need to prevent [the] resurgence of unconstitutional changes of government by reacting much more swiftly to ensuing crisis and develop continental-based pharmaceutical industries to manufacture and distribute their own Covid-19 vaccines to African citizens.”
The former President made this known last Friday at the opening of the 10th Tana High-Level Forum on Security in Bahir Dar, Ethiopia, during his presentation on the State of Peace and Security in Africa 2021 Report.
The three-day Forum is on the theme: “Managing security threats: building resilience for the Africa we want.”
According to John Dramani Mahama, the African Continent experienced a turbulent year in 2021, in terms of the provision of peace and security.
“In 2021, Africa witnessed a reversal of some of the democratic gains that were achieved in the 1990s and 2000, with the resurgence of unconstitutional changes of government, contestation for state power, the regionalisation of violent conflict, and return to authoritarian rule and the undermining of the rule of law, both of which are drivers of violent conflict,” he disclosed.
He further added that Africa must look beyond the deployment of troops, more hardware and drone technology to address the challenges to peace and security on the Continent.
Mr. Mahama said it was necessary for Africa and its institutions to rather find the source of the regional insecurity fire and extinguish the flames before they engulfed the Continent.
He said there was the need to consider the time-tested “spirit of entrepreneurship so that we can fight the trade war rather than simply expend our energies trying to put out the extremist fires – and behaving like a fire brigade, only reacting when is too late.”
The former President, who is the Chairperson of the Tana Forum Board, noted that Africa seemed unable to proactively prevent crises, despite the availability of key institutions and mechanisms to pre-empt and resolve conflict.
He, therefore, argued that the degree of cross-border interaction and exchange, and the deepening reach of globalisation, meant “we now need to frame Africa’s conflict situations as regional crises with national dimensions.”
According to the report, Africa, in 2021, witnessed a reversal of some of the democratic gains that were achieved in the 1990s and 2000, with the resurgence of unconstitutional changes of government, contestation for state power, the regionalisation of violent conflict and return to authoritarian rule and the undermining of the rule of law, both of which are drivers of violent conflict.
“Moreover, in 2021, limited economic growth, an immense youth bulge, and high levels of rural-urban conflict and forced migration have created conditions for extremism to spread into vulnerable countries”, the report further noted.
Outlining some of the recommendations of the 2021 State of Peace and Security Report, he recommended that Africa must develop dedicated programmes of work with the AU Special Envoy for Youth and the African Youth Ambassadors to mobilize the continent’s youth to proactively work to prevent and resolve conflict as well as promote post-conflict reconstruction, peace building and transitional justice”.
Background
The Tana Forum is an initiative in response to the African Union’s Tripoli Declaration of August 2009 for “African-led solutions” and to peace and security as a collective “intellectual challenge”.
The annual Tana High-Level Forum on Security in Africa was initiated by the Institute for Peace and Security Studies (IPSS) of the Addis Ababa University (AAU) and the late Prime Minister Meles Zenawi of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia.
The Forum brings African leaders, decision-makers, and stakeholders to engage and explore African-led security solutions.
Members of the Tana Board are H.E. Haile Mariam Desalegn, former Prime Minister of Ethiopia, H.E. Dr. Joyce Banda, former President, Republic of Malawi, H.E. Catherine Samba-Panza, former President, Central African Republic Central African Republic, and H.E. Michelle Ndiaye, Special Representative of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission.
