President Mahama urges African States to finance their own peace operations

President John Dramani Mahama has cautioned that foreign entities are vying for strategic influence and access to Africa's natural resources, urging African leaders to unite in safeguarding the continent's sovereignty and security. Speaking at the 12th Tana High-Level Forum on Security in Africa in Bahir Dar, Ethiopia, on October 24, Mahama emphasized that a lack of coordinated response could lead to Africa ceding control of its political and security future to external interests.

He highlighted competition over resources, weak governance, and foreign interference as key factors contributing to conflicts across the continent, citing examples from Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo, where battles are fueled by battles over valuable resources like gold, coltan, and cobalt.

Mahama stressed that external powers from various regions, including the East, West, and Gulf, are actively seeking leverage, access, and client states within Africa. He emphasized, "Africa is not an empty chessboard for foreign powers to play their games. We are not spectators. But unless we consciously decide to take up the pen and write our own script, someone else will write it for us, and we will not like how the story ends."

The President also pointed out that Africa's security challenges were exacerbated by governance failures in Somalia, the marginalization of young people in Mozambique's gas-rich Cabo Delgado region, and rifts between the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the Alliance of Sahel States. These divisions, he warned, erode regional cooperation and impede collective efforts to tackle threats to peace and stability.

Additionally, Mahama drew attention to the rising use of commercial drones by armed groups, noting that the technology's affordability and accessibility is escalating conflicts' lethality. In Sudan, he noted, these drones have been responsible for the majority of civilian casualties this year. He urged African leaders to enhance cooperation, improve governance, and assert greater control over the continent's natural resources and security priorities.

Mahama concluded by warning that a united approach was imperative to prevent African nations from falling victim to external influence and to ensure they maintain the reins of their destiny.