Prioritise conflict prevention investment to preserve peace, security - Dr Agyeman-Rawlings tells AU

The Second Vice-President of the Pan-African Parliament, Dr Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings, has called on the African Union and member states to prioritise conflict prevention to preserve peace and security on the continent.

She said if countries were serious about preventing conflicts, they must invest not only in military responses but also in strengthening institutions, protecting civic space, advancing constitutionalism, supporting inclusive dialogue and ensuring that citizens felt seen, heard and represented.

“This requires political will and accountable leadership from all stakeholders across the continent,” she said.

Let’s be intentional  

Addressing the 87th Ordinary Session of the African Commission on Human Rights and Peoples’ Rights (ACHRPR) on behalf of the President of the Pan-African Parliament, Fateh Boutbig, in Banjul, Gambia, on May 11, this year, Dr Agyeman-Rawlings said Africa could not afford to remain in a cycle of reacting to crises only after lives had been lost and communities fractured.

“Prevention must become central to our approach. We must invest more intentionally in early warning systems, mediation, peace education, community resilience and citizen engagement, especially among young people.

“We must also recognise that peace and security are no longer defined only by armed conflict.

Food insecurity, climate shocks, political instability, economic exclusion and digital manipulation all have the potential to undermine social cohesion and destabilise societies,” she said.

The session brought together legislators from member states, representatives of civil society and international organisations to review the human rights situation across Africa, examine state compliance reports, address shrinking civic space and discuss democratic integrity and climate justice. 

Xenophobia

Dr Agyeman-Rawlings, who is the Chairperson of the Security and Intelligence Committee of Ghana’s Parliament, said participants had gathered in Banjul at a time that called for deep reflection and courageous action from leaders. 

Across the continent, she said, many of the people continued to face significant challenges from conflict and violent extremism to unconstitutional changes of government, economic hardship and forced displacement.

Others, she said, were economic hardship, forced displacement, rising inequality, climate insecurity and growing mistrust in institutions, saying the pressures facing African societies were real and interconnected.

She cited how the continent was witnessing worrying divisions emerging among Africans themselves.

“The recent attacks and hostility directed at fellow African nationals in parts of South Africa remind us that xenophobia, intolerance and Afrophobia threaten not only the safety and dignity of individuals but also the very ideals on which Pan-Africanism was built.

“As Africans, we cannot advocate unity at the continental level while allowing fear, misinformation, economic frustration and social tensions to divide us from one another,” she said.

In her view, the dream of African integration must be grounded in solidarity, mutual respect and recognition of “our shared humanity”.

Demand for accountability

The Pan-African Parliament Second Vice-President also pointed out how citizens across the continent were demanding accountability, with young people insisting on inclusion, women leading peace-building efforts in their communities, and ordinary Africans continuing to believe in the promise of democracy and a more united Africa.

The security expert indicated that peace and security could not be separated from governance and human rights.

She explained that where justice was absent, instability grew, and where exclusion persisted, insecurity deepened.