“Africa’s conflicts rooted in resource exploration” – President Mahama

President John Dramani Mahama has urged African leaders to tackle the economic and political factors fueling conflicts on the continent, cautioning that military actions alone are insufficient for achieving enduring peace. In his address at the 2026 Tana State of Peace and Security in Africa Report in Bahir Dar, Ethiopia, the President emphasized that the root causes of armed conflicts include competition for natural resources, unjust wealth distribution, and political interests that thrive on instability.

He called for a closer examination of who controls these resources, who profits from their extraction, and whose interests are advanced by protracted instability.

Citing Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Mozambique as case studies, President Mahama highlighted how resource exploitation and the marginalization of local communities contribute to insecurity. He argued that Africa must transcend merely treating the symptoms of conflict and instead confront the underlying structural economic and governance issues that perpetuate violence.

The President stressed that true peace necessitates economic fairness, accountable institutions, and a just distribution of Africa’s natural wealth.