BY YOHANES JEMANEH
Each year, Addis Ababa University, Institute for Peace and Security Studies (IPSS) organizes the Tana Forum to create a platform in which African leaders and scholars meet and discuss various African issues mainly to avail solutions for problems linked to peace and security and other economic crises.
Accordingly, Tana High-Level Forum on Security in Africa is an initiative that is a response to the August 2009 African Union Tripoli Declarations on the Elimination of Conflicts and the Promotion of Sustainable Peace in Africa, African Heads of State and governments designated peace and security as a collective intellectual challenge and called for the elaboration of African-led solutions to take it on.
The Tana Forum was established to play a crucial role in bringing about sustainable peace and contribute to the implementation of the African Union’s Tripoli Declaration of August 2009.
This weekend, the 10th Tana High-Level Forum on Security in Africa was kicked off in the presence of Heads of State and Government, Ministers, and high-level delegations from various countries.
Among them were Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed (Ph.D.), Abdelrahman Al-Burhan, Sudan Transitional Government President, the Prime Minister of Somalia, Hamza Abdi Barre, and Amhara Regional President Yilkal Kefale.
In his opening remark, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed emphasized the importance of building continental security resilience and home-grown African solutions to emerging African problems. Besides other aspects that could potentially be reflected by counterparts who are attending the Forum, Prime Minister Abiy points out three security spheres such as water, energy, and data governance that indeed need attention during the deliberations of the Forum.
The participants of the Forum on Security in Africa presided over a State of Peace and Security 2021 report on the continent and held pertinent panel discussions. John Dramani Mahama, former President of Ghana and Chairperson of the Tana Forum Board, presented the State of Peace and Security in Africa Report for 2021.
He stated that marginalization and economic mismanagement brought Africans into the narratives of radicalization. On the Forum, a panel discussion was carried out deliberating on various proposals and policy feedback on security sector challenges at the continental level.
It was stressed that all stakeholders must pay attention to both the internal and external dynamics of conflicts in Africa and seek ways to regenerate the optimism of the early 2000s that saw the establishment of numerous normative frameworks.
Among others, the resurgence of unconstitutional change of government in Africa reflects a number of underlying governance issues that necessitate rethinking the structure of the political system and the responsibilities of organizations in the continent, it was learnt.
On the occasion, Sudan Transitional Government President Abdelrahman Al-Burhan noted that his country has faced many challenges and complications, but the indicators are now more positive. He called for optimism and heralds the imminent success of reaching an agreement with the participation of most of the political and societal power and the parties to peace.
Measures necessary to hold free and transparent elections at the end of the transitional period are in place in Sudan. “For our part, we affirm our firm positions that we announced, which require the withdrawal and exit of the military force from the political debate to disperse, to perform its basic tasks in protecting and maintaining the security and sovereignty of the country” President Al-Burhan said.
He further stated that the causes of instability in Africa are to come up with conclusions that lead to practical results in the achievement of sustainable peace and food security and to address the ways to achieve security and stability in a way that contributes to realizing the slogan of finding African solutions to African problems.
According to Al-Burhan, Sudan has been keen to participate constructively in the activities of the Tana Forum since its inception. “We look forward to this session reaching positive outcomes that contribute to achieving security and stability in the region and enhance the growth and prosperity of people,” he said.
The significance of the forum has been clearly seen in the past nine editions as it helped African nations find solutions to their political and economic problems.
“Tana Forum has proved itself worthy of being taken seriously as a veritable platform for energetic and purposeful conversation on pressing, actionable, and relevant peace and security challenges facing Africa. Only through sustainable, long-term funding can the AU follow an independent agenda that speaks to the common practices and needs of its member states,” stated a press release issued on the Tana Forum website on 5 October 2022.
The objectives of the 10th edition of the High-level Tana Forum were to provide pre-eminence to African citizens in the discourse on security and resilience across multiple political, economic and social spaces. Secondly, it aimed at mobilizing and synthesizing knowledge and insights that would assist a wide range of national, regional, and continental actors in contributing better to shaping the future of ‘Africa We Want in a more promising and assuring direction.
It also evaluated Africa’s contribution to the management of the COVID-19 pandemic, including investment in research and knowledge products that reflect Africa’s solution to a global problem.
The Forum’s discussions highlighted how diversity, equity, and inclusion are reflected in Africa’s international partnership and engagement. Unpack Africa’s acute climate change and climate resilience challenges that have significant security implications for citizens in the context of food insecurity, migration, agrarian conflict, and access to water to mention but a few.
Assess how a resilient health system and the rollout of equitable vaccines constitute an important source of security to other sectors at this critical period. Emphasize mobilizing and building the type of home-grown and local resilience that allows the voice and agency of African citizens to blossom.
The Forum interrogated the health impacts and explored other multifaceted aspects in the context of peace and security, including how health systems create security challenges and vice versa.
The information obtained from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) indicated that this year’s Tana High-level Security forum played a significant role in exploring and exchanging ideas on African-led solutions to continental security challenges.
According to MoFA Spokesperson Meles Alem, the forum was the venue to explore ways of tackling Africa’s pressing peace and stability challenges and the mushrooming illegal seizure of power.
The spokesperson further highlighted that heads of state and governments, representatives from continental organizations, peace, and security experts as well as public figures and others have attended the forum.
Meles stated that delegations of Ethiopian youth organizations have been dispatched to various African countries and received full recognition from the destination states. South Sudan, Sudan, Somalia, Rwanda, Kenya, and Djibouti are countries in that Ethiopia sent youth delegations to promote its Green Legacy success and nurture fraternity through green diplomacy.
“The Ethiopian youth delegation will take part in a tree-planting campaign in African countries to raise awareness of the Green Legacy Initiative and it will have a significant impact on promoting African unity and strengthening relationships.”
Noting the Ethiopians set to discuss with their age mates in the respective country in the sideline of the tree planting sessions. Meles indicated such a program aims to enable the youth to contribute and share for the realization of the larger regional integration vision.
Elaborating on the significance of Ethiopia’s green legacy to the continent, Abiy reiterated that Africa is vulnerable to climate change despite contributing the least towards it. Putting the challenges of the citizens in that regard to the attention of the participants, Prime Minister Abiy noted most of Africa’s people live in rural areas with rain-fed agriculture and that 1/3 of Africans experience water scarcity.
Putting Ethiopia’s efforts in that regard, he said, Ethiopia has embarked on realizing a wide range of renewable energy alternatives. He further briefed Ethiopia’s efforts on hydro-power, gas, and commercial agriculture areas and plans towards energy export to neighboring countries.
Speaking of the green legacy achievements of the country, Ethiopia has surpassed the target of planting 20 billion trees by planting 25 billion, with a survival rate of over 70% of the seedlings. He underscored that Ethiopia was putting into effect innovative solutions for timely challenges and indicated emission-free policies that are being developed.
He finally, among others, noted the need for data management and stressed that it should be in line with the African Agenda 2063. The Premier also stated that the youth should be integrated with the efforts the country is putting in place.
The 10th Tana Forum was held from 14 – 16 October 2022, under the theme of “Managing Security Threats: Building Resilience for Africa We Want,” in a hybrid format.
The Ethiopian Herald 18 October 2022
