The Tana African Security Forum returns after two years, and this is the most prominent thing it discussed policy

After a two-year hiatus, the work of the 11th session of the Tana High-Level Forum for Peace and Security in Africa was launched in the city of Bahir Dar, the capital of the Amhara region in northern Ethiopia, with broad participation from government officials, former leaders, policy experts, and representatives of regional and international organizations, under the slogan (Africa in a Changing World Order).

The Forum, which was established in 2012, is one of the most prominent platforms for dialogue between decision-makers on the continent, and is held annually with the aim of presenting practical proposals for African solutions to African challenges.

The first day’s sessions, held in Bahir Dar, focused on emerging security issues in Africa, most notably the use of artificial intelligence in modern armed conflicts.

In an intellectual session entitled “Artificial Intelligence in Modern Conflicts: Ethical and Humanitarian Dimensions,” participants discussed the growing impact of smart technologies on African battlefields, including drones, digital surveillance systems, and information warfare, stressing the need to build legislative and legal frameworks that regulate their use and limit human rights violations.

Other sessions also dealt with reforming the institutions of the African Union, enhancing their effectiveness and financial independence, and expanding citizens’ participation in decision-making processes, by bringing the union’s structures closer to the grassroots.

This debate was considered an extension of the continental debate about African ownership and self-financing of the African Union, which is one of the most prominent priorities of the African Union Commission.

Another session was devoted to discussing the issue of stability in the Horn of Africa region, with the participation of state ministers from Ethiopia and Somalia, which focused on the importance of strengthening security and economic cooperation in confronting cross-border challenges, such as displacement, terrorism, organized crime, and climate change.

The governor of the Amhara region said – during the opening session – that the resumption of the forum this year after repeated postponements since 2023 confirms the return of stability to the region and its ability to host major regional events after a period of security tension, adding that the forum is not just an academic event, but rather a platform for renewing confidence in African solutions.

Second day sessions

On the second day of the forum, which was held in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, the discussion turned to the major issues facing the continent in light of the transformations in the international system.

The Chairman of the African Union Commission, Mahmoud Ali Youssef, called on African leaders to move from the stage of theoretical thinking to practical action in the face of the worsening security and political challenges, stressing that African unity is the only weapon capable of protecting the continent from fragmentation and weakness in an increasingly turbulent world.

Youssef said in his opening speech, “It is time for us to move from the stage of rhetoric to the stage of action. The continent is facing intertwined crises, from conflicts to poverty and climate change, and there is no way to overcome them except through unity, solidarity, and sincere political will.”

Youssef pointed out that the “Silencing the Guns” initiative, launched by the African Union in 2009, was supposed to achieve its goals by 2020 before extending it to 2030.

He added, “We only have 5 years left, but the indicators of violence are still high, which forces us to move from theory to implementation.”

Honoring symbols of African liberation

The second day also witnessed a symbolic session entitled “The Legacy of Samora Machel in the Process of African Peace and Security,” dedicated to honoring the late Mozambican President Samora Machel, one of the most prominent symbols of national liberation on the continent.

The speakers discussed his experience in leading his country’s struggle against colonialism, and his role in consolidating the values ​​of African unity, considering that bringing up symbols such as Machel and Chissano reminds new generations of the original spirit of the African project, which is based on dignity, sovereignty and integration.

In a high-level session on “African Ownership and Effectiveness in an Unstable World,” former President of Malawi Joyce Banda, former Mozambican President Joaquim Chissano, and Ethiopian Foreign Minister Gideon Timotheus participated, and speakers stressed that the continent needs to regain the initiative on security and development issues.

They stressed that solutions imposed from abroad have proven limited, and that African ownership of projects and policies is the way to ensure the sustainability of peace and stability.

The forum, which has been held annually since 2012, concludes by issuing recommendations addressed to the African Union, regional organizations and decision-makers on the continent, on security and development policies.

Over the course of 11 years, the Forum has contributed to building an African intellectual network that includes heads of state and government, former officials, academics and experts, to exchange visions on managing African crises with sustainable local mechanisms.