President John Dramani Mahama has called for sustainable, predictable and African-owned financing of the continent’s peace and security agenda.
He says Africa needs a financing architecture that is predictable enough to plan, flexible enough to respond, and sustainable enough to reduce excessive dependence on external resources.
President Mahama, speaking at the 21st Extraordinary Session of Heads of State of the African Union which has opened in Luanda, Angola, noted that “African ownership of peace and security must be matched by African ownership of its financing.”
According to him, Ghana attaches particular importance to sustainable, predictable and African-owned financing of the peace and security agenda, saying the continent’s mechanisms remain declarations on paper without resources.
He said Africa’s challenge is not the absence of frameworks, but the effective implementation of those frameworks. “Early warning must translate into early action, and early action requires resources that are available in a timely and predictable manner.”
President Mahama added that Ghana welcomes the progress made in operationalising the African Union Peace Fund and supports its continued capitalisation towards the $1 billion United States dollar target.
He said the Peace Fund remains central to the continent’s ambition to fund its own peace operations and to respond swiftly to crises without waiting for external approval.
In that regard, he has encouraged accelerated implementation of the Peace Fund resource mobilisation strategy, including the effective application of the 0.2% import levy, while strengthening mobilisation of resources from African financial institutions, the private sector, and other African sources.
The 0.2% levy, he noted, if effectively applied across member states, could provide the fiscal base needed to move the continent from dependence to self-sufficiency in peace financing.
He, at the same time, indicated that Ghana recognises the importance of predictable and sustainable international financing for African-led peace support operations, explaining that even as Africa pursues self-financing, partnership with the international community remains critical.
“In this regard, we welcome the United Nations Security Council Resolution 2719 of 2023, which provides a framework for the financing of AU-led peace support operations through UN assessed contributions,” he said.
Ghana, President Mahama stated, encourages continued efforts towards the effective operationalisation of the framework, consistent with the principles of African ownership, accountability, and shared responsibility for maintaining international peace and security.
The primary focus of the Luanda summit is to consider and adopt a comprehensive Decision, Action Plan, and Implementation Matrix on Conflict Prevention and Resolution for the continent.
The continent’s leaders are are also expected to assess existing continental peace and security frameworks and agree on concrete measures to improve coordination, responsiveness, implementation, and financing of both the African Peace and Security Architecture (APSA) and the African Governance Architecture (AGA).
Mahama describes 21st AU Extraordinary Session as timely and necessary
