African leaders call for self-reliance in security over failing global systems: Video
African leaders have called for the continent to take full responsibility for its own peace and security, warning that reliance on foreign powers and unstable external funding is no longer sustainable.
Speaking at the 2nd edition of the Lome Peace and Security Forum (LPSF), Togolese President Faure Gnassingbé opened with a stark assessment of the global landscape.
“Conflicts are multiplying. Threats are evolving. And everywhere, the multilateral mechanisms on which much of international security once relied are weakening,” he said.
Gnassingbé noted the rise of complex threats such as terrorism, transnational crime, cyberattacks, disinformation, and climate insecurity, insisting that no individual African nation can confront these challenges alone.
“No army, no border, no state can face them alone. We must move from reaction to prevention … Security has a cost, and that cost must be borne. Depending on unstable, conditional external funding is not an option.”
Liberian President Joseph Boakai reflected on his country’s history of civil war, stressing that sustainable peace must be rooted in justice and reconciliation. “Liberia established a Truth and Reconciliation Commission. As president, I’ve sought to implement its recommendations, because there can be no lasting peace without justice,” Boakai said. “The peace we seek must be homegrown, created by Africans, borne by Africans, and sustained by Africans,” he added.
Angolan Foreign Minister Tete António echoed the need for continental unity, particularly in regions like the Great Lakes.
The 2nd edition of the LPSF, held under the theme 'Africa facing complex security challenges: how to build and consolidate peace and stability in a changing world?', was held in Togo's capital from October 11-12.
This story is written and edited by the Global South World team, you can contact us here.
