Uhuru calls for sustainability in African-led peace missions
By Arnold Ngure, October 25, 2024
Retired president Uhuru Kenyatta on Friday, October 25, 2024, called for sustainable African-led peace missions in the continent, noting that leaders must be prepared to use the resources they generate to ensure long-lasting peace.
Speaking during the opening ceremony of the 15th High-Level Retreat on the Promotion of Peace, Security, and Stability in Africa in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, Uhuru also thanked the African Union Commission chairperson Moussa Faki for establishing the AU Peace Fund.
“If we truly want sustainable solutions that are African-born and led, we can’t do that if we are not in a position to back what we do through the resources that we generate,” Uhuru stated.
Uhuru urges unity
Similarly, Uhuru urged African nations to work toward self-sustainability in peace processes, stressing that this approach is essential for achieving a peaceful and stable continent.
Uhuru, who is a Member of the AU High-Level Panel for Ethiopia and Facilitator of the EAC-Led Nairobi Peace Process, also praised AU Chairperson Moussa Faki for establishing the AU Peace Fund, which aims to support peace operations and crisis response across the continent.
He highlighted the importance of regional cooperation, noting that Africa cannot realize true integration unless it addresses challenges related to ethnicity, religious conflicts, resource disputes, and climate change-induced conflicts.
“No individual country can deal with them,” Uhuru emphasized, urging for a collective approach: “None of us is an island.”
AU peace retreat
His call for unity reflected the conference’s theme, as leaders from diverse organizations and backgrounds gathered to assess the AU’s impact on peace and security and to explore new approaches to sustainable conflict resolution.
The retreat provides a platform for AU and global representatives to review past AU-led peace initiatives and exchange insights on improving the impact, effectiveness, and sustainability of future mediation efforts.
The former president arrived in Abidjan on Thursday, October 24, 2024, for the high-level meeting set to conclude its deliberations on Saturday, October 26, 2024.
The event was officially opened by Alassane Ouattara, President of Ivory Coast and Moussa Faki Mahamat, Chairperson of the AU Commission.
The retreat convenes various leaders, including AU Commission leadership, High/Special Representatives, Envoys, and Permanent Representatives.
It also brings together Heads of Regional Economic Communities and Mechanisms (RECs/RMs), as well as Special Representatives and Special Envoys of the United Nations Secretary-General.