President John Dramani Mahama has called on African countries to create more economic opportunities for young people, saying youth empowerment and economic sovereignty are central to achieving lasting peace and security across the continent.
Speaking at the 12th Tana High-Level Forum on Security in Africa in Bahir Dar, Ethiopia, on October 24, 2026, Mr Mahama said Africa’s approach to security must include stronger economic foundations and greater national responsibility.
He urged governments to take increased ownership of funding their security priorities, while also confronting illicit financial flows and investing in indigenous technological capacity.
Mr Mahama said African countries should move towards greater self-reliance, including by financing African Union peace operations through the AU Peace Fund. He described this as part of a wider effort to build a more secure future for the continent.
“True sovereignty is not simply having a seat at the United Nations or singing a national anthem,” Mahama said. “It means having the power to govern our strategic resources, negotiate fair terms, and ensure that the wealth beneath our people’s feet puts food on their tables.”
The President also argued that regional integration should be viewed as more than a means of increasing trade. He presented closer economic cooperation as an essential part of Africa’s security strategy.
“When countries integrate their markets, they have more to gain from cooperation than conflict, making their neighbours more valuable as trading partners than as geopolitical adversaries,” he stated.
Mr Mahama said economic sovereignty and justice were necessary foundations for lasting peace and durable security in Africa.
He cited the Accra Reset as a framework for helping the continent move away from structural dependency, unsustainable debt and inequalities within the global financial system.
