Mahama urges African states to finance peace operations, curb illicit money flows

By: Nana Karikari, Senior Global Affairs Correspondent

President John Dramani Mahama has called on African nations to take full financial responsibility for their security, curb illicit financial flows, and build homegrown technological resilience to secure the continent’s future.

Speaking at the 12th Tana High-Level Forum on Peace in Africa in Bahir Dar, Ethiopia, President Mahama declared that Africa must break away from external dependency and take direct charge of its sovereign defense and development.

External financial dependency continues to leave African peace missions directly exposed to decisions made in foreign capitals. President Mahama emphasized that true continental autonomy requires direct funding mechanisms backed by African states.

“From financing our own peace operations through the AU Peace Fund to curbing illicit financial flows and building homegrown technological resilience, we must author and fund our destiny ourselves,” he said.

The operational vulnerabilities created by foreign financial support are clearly reflected in continental peacekeeping deficits. The ongoing transition from the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) to the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM) highlights this growing gap.

AUSSOM requires approximately 190 million dollars annually to remain operational. In contrast, the AU Peace Fund currently musters barely 20 million dollars. This gap leaves African security architecture vulnerable to external shifts.

“That is not an African solution to African problems. That is external dependency disguised in an African beret. We must fund our own peace,” he said.

Bridging the Gap Between Agreements and Action

Regional leaders must look past symbolic pledges and address chronic delays in policy execution. Existing multilateral initiatives have failed to reach their full potential due to persistent gaps in political implementation.

Key continental frameworks face mounting operational hurdles, including Agenda 2063, the African Peace and Security Architecture, and the landmark “Silencing the Guns” initiative.

“Our problem is not the ink on the paper; it is the courage of our execution,” he said.

Institutional Accountability and Policy Compliance

The African Union and sub-regional organizations must establish rigorous monitoring mechanisms to evaluate political commitment across member nations. Regional institutions must actively pinpoint compliance failures and hold governments strictly accountable to their treaty obligations.

African states must enforce signed protocols and accelerate the ratification of agreements enabling the free movement of people. Member nations must also fully fund allocated security budgets and expand administrative governance beyond primary capital cities.

The Political Economy of Continental Instability

Presenting the 2026 State of Peace and Security in Africa Report—which reviews security developments from January 2025 through June 2026—President Mahama stressed that security challenges cannot be resolved by military hardware alone. Armed groups, advanced weaponry, and troop deployments address only the surface symptoms of wider structural crises.

“The real disease is mostly in the arena of political economy,” he said.

He urged African leaders to critically evaluate resource ownership, extraction profits, and the systemic financial interests that drive persistent regional instability.

Resource Exploitation as a Driver of Conflict

Resource competition, weak local governance, and marginalized populations fuel security crises across the continent. These dynamics are evident in Sudan, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, Al-Shabaab operations in Somalia, and tensions in Mozambique’s Cabo Delgado region.

In Sudan, armed clashes extend far beyond control over Khartoum to key gold extraction zones. In the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, the resurgence of the M23 group is closely tied to coltan, cobalt, and global competition for minerals driving the green energy transition.

“These are not separate, random brushfires. They are symptoms of a single, continent-wide firestorm,” President Mahama said.

Resisting Global Geopolitical Competition

An increasingly polarized international landscape has intensified foreign competition for African strategic commodities. Global powers continue to pursue expanded geopolitical influence and unhindered resource access across the continent.

“Africa is not an empty chessboard for foreign powers to play their games. We are not spectators,” he said.

African governments must maintain direct authority over critical national assets and secure equitable commercial terms during international trade negotiations.

“Real sovereignty means having the administrative, legal, and economic power to govern your strategic assets, negotiate fair terms, and ensure the wealth beneath our people’s feet actually puts food on their tables,” he added.

Prospects and Constraints for Continental Autonomy

While President Mahama’s call for self-reliance reflects a growing consensus across regional bodies, execution faces real-world hurdles. Regional analysts point out that replacing foreign funding with domestic capital requires major institutional reforms and fiscal discipline across member states. Achieving self-funded security will ultimately depend on whether African governments can match their diplomatic calls with sustained budget commitments.