Bianca urges African states to strengthen early warning and mediation mechanisms

Bianca urges African states to strengthen early warning and mediation mechanisms

…Calls for predictable funding for AU-led peace operations

By Gabriel Kekong

Abuja (Core Reporters) – Nigeria has called on African countries to strengthen continental early warning systems, mediation initiatives and the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) as part of efforts to address the continent’s growing security challenges.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, made the call on 8 October 2026, during the opening ceremony of the Consultative Forum on Strengthening the Functional Performance of the African Union Peace and Security Architecture in Abuja.

Against the backdrop of growing threats to regional security, increasing pressures on multilateralism and gaps in continental security frameworks, the minister urged African countries to take greater responsibility in addressing the continent’s peace and security challenges.

Odumegwu-Ojukwu expressed concern about the growing wave of terrorism across Africa, highlighting that armed groups are increasingly employing emerging technologies in their operations and financing their activities through the proceeds of transnational organized crime and illicit financial flows.

To strengthen Africa’s peace and security architecture, he urged Member States to improve the effectiveness of the continental early warning system, strengthen African-led mediation initiatives and promote the African Peer Review Mechanism.

He also highlighted the importance of building sustainable national peace infrastructure, improving intelligence sharing among African countries, and addressing the underlying causes of insecurity, including local grievances and youth unemployment.

The minister also highlighted the need to strengthen community resilience and increase support for rehabilitation and reintegration programs for people affected by terrorism and violent extremism.

He encouraged African countries to leverage the African Union Counter-Terrorism Center (AUTC) to improve coordination and strengthen collective counter-terrorism efforts across the continent.

On financing peace and security initiatives, Odumegwu-Ojukwu stressed the importance of complementarity between the African Union Peace Facility and international financing commitments, including those of the United Nations.

He called for predictable and sustainable funding for African Union-led peace operations, along with strengthened peace support operations through the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 2719.

The minister also supported the full operationalization of the African Standby Force (ASF) and regional standby forces to strengthen the continent’s capacity to respond quickly and effectively to emerging security threats.

Expressing optimism about the outcome of the two-day forum, Odumegwu-Ojukwu said the meeting will generate practical and implementable recommendations to enhance Africa’s collective capacity to prevent conflicts, respond to emerging threats and promote sustainable peace and security.

The consultative forum focuses on four priority areas: mediation and preventive diplomacy; early warning and response; counter-terrorism; and peace support operations.

Nigeria expects the meeting to produce actionable recommendations to improve security coordination across the continent, strengthen funding for peace initiatives, and strengthen the capacity of African institutions to respond effectively to the continent’s evolving security challenges.