Uhuru urges Africans to fund own peace initiatives

By Peter Ochieng

Retired President Uhuru Muigai Kenyatta has called on African governments to fund their own peace initiatives for successful outcomes.

Speaking on Friday when he attended the 15th high-level retreat on the promotion of peace, security, and stability in Africa in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire, Kenyatta said Africans must support peace initiatives across the continent.

“If we truly want sustainable solutions that are African-born and led, we can’t do that if we are not in a position to back what we do through the resources that we generate,” he said.

Kenyatta served as Kenya’s 4th President, from 2013 to 2022, before being succeeded by his then Deputy, William Ruto.

The former President who has taken a political backseat since leaving office, urged African nations to work toward self-sustainability in peace processes, stressing that this approach is essential for achieving the much-needed peace and stability.

The event brought together prominent African Union (AU) Commission leadership, special representatives, heads of regional economic communities and mechanisms, and international envoys to discuss the future of conflict resolution and peacebuilding on the continent.

Uhuru Kenyatta who is a Member of the AU High-Level Panel for Ethiopia and Facilitator of the EAC-Led Nairobi Peace Process.

He heaped praise on African Union Commission (AUC) Chairperson Moussa Faki for establishing the AU Peace Fund, which aims to support peace operations and crisis response across the continent.

He in the process highlighted the importance of regional cooperation, stating that Africa cannot realise its true potential and integration unless it addresses challenges related to ethnicity, religious conflicts, resource disputes, and climate change-induced conflicts.

“No individual country can deal with them,” he said. “None of us is an island,” he added.

The retreat provided a platform for AU and global representatives to review past AU-led peace initiatives, and exchange insights on improving the impact, effectiveness, and sustainability of future mediation efforts.