Africa must fund its own peace agenda — President Mahama
President John Dramani Mahama has called on Africa to finance its own peace and security agenda.
Speaking at the 21st Extraordinary Session of the African Union Assembly of Heads of State and Government in Luanda, Angola, on Sunday, August 30, 2026, he said Africa continues to face persistent and evolving conflicts despite having comprehensive peace and security mechanisms.
He said the task now is to make sure those mechanisms are effectively implemented, better coordinated and adequately resourced.
Mahama said African ownership of peace and security must be matched by African ownership of its financing. He said Ghana needs a financing system that is predictable enough to plan, flexible enough to respond and sustainable enough to reduce dependence on external resources.
He said early warning must lead to early action, and early action needs timely and sustainable money.
He welcomed progress made in operationalising the African Union Peace Fund and called for its continued capitalisation towards the $1 billion target. He urged accelerated implementation of the Peace Fund’s resource mobilisation strategy, including the 0.2 percent import levy, and more money from African financial institutions and the private sector.
He also said Ghana recognises the importance of international financing for African-led peace operations and welcomed UN Security Council Resolution 2719 of 2023, which provides a framework to finance AU-led peace support operations through UN assessed contributions.
He also endorsed the Luanda Action Plan, which focuses on early warning and preventive diplomacy.
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