President Mahama urges African countries to fund own peace operations, warns against external dependence

President John Dramani Mahama has urged African countries to take greater responsibility for financing peace operations on the continent, warning that reliance on external partners exposes critical security missions to decisions beyond Africa's control.

Speaking at the 12th Tana High-Level Forum on Peace in Africa in Bahir Dar, Ethiopia, he said the African Union's Peace Fund could barely raise $20 million towards the estimated $190 million required annually to support the African Union Support and Stabilisation Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM).

He said the funding shortfall compelled African countries to depend on external partners, leaving peace and security operations vulnerable to funding cuts by foreign governments.

“We must fund our own peace,” President Mahama declared while presenting the 2026 State of Peace and Security in Africa Report, covering the period from January 2025 to June 2026.

He pointed to the transition from the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) to AUSSOM as an example of the continent's persistent financing challenges, arguing that dependence on external funding weakens Africa's ability to set its own security priorities.

President Mahama warned that decisions by governments in Washington and European capitals to reduce funding for peacekeeping support missions could have serious consequences for security in the Horn of Africa, despite African countries having limited influence over such decisions.

“The rest? We look outside. And when decisions are taken in Washington or European capitals to cut funding for peacekeeping support missions, the fate of the Horn of Africa is decided in rooms where Africans do not even have a vote,” he said.

He described the situation as “external dependency disguised in an African beret”, stressing that the continent needed to assume greater responsibility for financing its peace and security initiatives.

Beyond the funding challenge, President Mahama said Africa's wider security problems reflected failures by governments to implement existing commitments and mobilise resources for established peace and security frameworks.

He called on African governments to fulfil their financial obligations, deepen regional cooperation and ensure that security strategies address the economic and governance challenges that fuel conflicts.

He also urged African institutions to hold member states accountable for their commitments, saying the continent must move beyond declarations and translate its peace initiatives into tangible action.