President John Dramani Mahama has called for faster efforts to fully fund the African Union Peace Fund, supporting the continent’s goal of raising $1 billion to strengthen Africa’s peace and security efforts.
Speaking at the 21st Extraordinary Session of the AU Assembly of Heads of State and Government on Sunday, August 30, President Mahama said Africa could not effectively respond to its growing and evolving conflicts without reliable and predictable funding.
He called for the accelerated implementation of the Peace Fund’s resource mobilisation strategy, including the effective application of the 0.2% import levy.
According to him, early warning systems would only be effective if they were backed by resources that could be deployed quickly.
“Early warning must translate into early action, and early action requires resources that are available in a timely and predictable manner,” President Mahama said.
He welcomed the progress made in operationalising the AU Peace Fund and expressed support for its continued capitalisation towards the $1 billion target.
President Mahama also called for greater contributions from African financial institutions, the private sector and other sources on the continent to reduce dependence on external funding.
He stressed that stronger coordination, reliable funding and faster implementation of existing peace and security mechanisms were essential to strengthening Africa’s ability to prevent and respond to conflicts.
