Uganda calls for faster African response to emerging conflicts
Kiwanuka said Africa already has several continental and regional mechanisms for preventing and resolving conflicts, but their effectiveness depends on political ownership, coordination and timely implementation.
Uganda said strengthening existing continental mechanisms, improving early warning and ensuring timely political and financial support would be critical to enabling Africa to prevent conflicts before they become more difficult and costly to resolve.
LUANDA - Uganda has called for faster and more decisive African responses to emerging conflicts, warning that delays in acting on early warning signs could allow security threats to escalate into full-blown crises.
The call was made by defence minister Kiryowa Kiwanuka, who represented President Yoweri Museveni at the Extraordinary Summit on Strengthening Mechanisms for Conflict Prevention and Resolution in Luanda, Angola.
Kiwanuka said Africa already has several continental and regional mechanisms for preventing and resolving conflicts, but their effectiveness depends on political ownership, coordination and timely implementation.
He said the continent's increasingly complex security environment, marked by terrorism, foreign interference, youth unemployment, climate insecurity and forced displacement, requires African institutions to move beyond identifying threats to taking concrete action before crises worsen.
Kiwanuka urged the African Union (AU) to urgently finalise the AU Trigger Model and Threat Assessment Tool, which are intended to strengthen the continent's capacity to identify and respond to security threats before they escalate.
Uganda also called for stronger coordination between the AU Commission, Regional Economic Communities (RECs) and Regional Mechanisms, saying member states must remain at the centre of conflict prevention, early warning and inclusive governance.
Kiwanuka said stronger institutional coordination and political ownership are essential if Africa is to effectively address the continent's growing security challenges.
Kiwanuka said the success of the Luanda Action Plan and its Implementation Matrix would depend on effective implementation, accountability and regular review rather than the creation of additional mechanisms.
He also highlighted the need for predictable and sustainable financing for African-led peace operations, urging the United Nations Security Council to fully operationalise Resolution 2719 (2023), including through assessed contributions.
Kiwanuka said the success of the Luanda Action Plan and its Implementation Matrix would depend on effective implementation, accountability and regular review rather than the creation of additional mechanisms.
Uganda also reaffirmed its readiness to host and fully operationalise the African Humanitarian Agency in Kampala, as part of efforts to strengthen the continent's capacity to respond to humanitarian crises arising from conflicts and displacement.
The call comes as African countries continue to confront interconnected security and humanitarian challenges, with conflicts contributing to displacement, disrupting livelihoods and placing additional pressure on already strained humanitarian systems.
Uganda said strengthening existing continental mechanisms, improving early warning and ensuring timely political and financial support would be critical to enabling Africa to prevent conflicts before they become more difficult and costly to resolve.
The two-day extraordinary summit came to a close on Sunday (August 30).