{
  "id": 16449115,
  "title": "Mahama urges African countries to use AfCFTA to prevent conflicts",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/25/mahama-urges-african-countries-to-use-afcfta-to-prevent-conflicts",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-25T08:28:23.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Adom Online",
    "slug": "adom-online",
    "url": "https://www.adomonline.com/mahama-urges-african-countries-to-use-afcfta-to-prevent-conflicts/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "President John Dramani Mahama has emphasized to African nations the importance of enhancing economic cooperation, emphasizing the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) as a vital instrument for averting conflicts and fostering enduring peace throughout the continent. He posited that heightened economic interdependence could diminish tensions by compelling countries to rely upon each other for trade, investment, and essential resources. President Mahama delivered these remarks during the 12th Tana High-Level Forum on Peace in Africa in Bahir Dar, Ethiopia. This forum was where he unveiled the 2026 State of Peace and Security in Africa Report, which detailed events from January 2025 to June 2026. He cautioned against perceiving the AfCFTA solely as an avenue for augmenting commercial engagements, asserting that its potential impact on peace and security was equally substantial. President Mahama remarked, \"We often view the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) purely as a commercial project. That is a mistake. The AfCFTA is perhaps our greatest architecture for conflict prevention.\" He further elucidated that heightened trade among African states could amplify the economic repercussions of conflict and foster a perception among nations that their neighbors are invaluable allies, not potential foes. He also underscored that interconnected and traceable supply chains could mitigate illicit economic practices, such as the trafficking of minerals, unlawful taxation at border checkpoints, and the operations of warlords. Additionally, the President spotlighted the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS), which facilitates cross-border transactions using African currencies, as a significant tool for reinforcing regional economic relationships and diminishing the continent's susceptibility to external economic shocks. However, President Mahama clarified that economic collaboration alone could not assure peace, highlighting that political dialogue and negotiated resolutions continued to be essential in resolving disputes. \"Trade cannot replace political settlement, but poverty and border friction will always guarantee war,\" he cautioned. He urged African leaders to fortify regional alliances and tackle the economic disparities and hardships that fuel instability. President Mahama reiterated that enduring peace on the continent would necessitate a combination of robust security measures, political resolutions, and economic equity.",
  "summary": "President John Dramani Mahama has urged African countries to deepen economic cooperation, describing the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) as a critical tool for preventing conflicts and promoting lasting peace across the continent. He said stronger economic ties among African nations could reduce tensions by making countries more dependent on one another for trade, […]",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "South China Morning Post",
        "title": "Will China’s 4 peace principles for tackling African conflicts work?",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/25/will-chinas-4-peace-principles-for-tackling-african-conflicts-work",
        "published": "2026-10-25T04:00:22.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}