AfDB Tasks DFI’s On Promoting Peace, Stability In Africa

The African Development Bank (AfDB) has urged Development Finance Institutions (DFIs) and other development partners to scale up innovative partnerships and initiatives to build peace and security on the African continent, which is home to eleven of the world’s most conflictaffected states.

AfDB’s Vice-President for Regional Development, Integration and Business Delivery Complex ,MarieLaure Akin-Olugbade, made the call during a session held September 21, on the sidelines of the 79th Assembly of the United Nations titled:

“Investing in Prevention: Scaling up Peace – A Call to Action for DFIs.” Over the last 20 years, the level of global conflict has escalated, with onefifth of Africa’s population residing in conflict affected areas, affecting the future of the world’s fastest-growing continent.

“Our goal today is very clear. We would like to mobilise institutions to prioritise peace building and through innovative partnerships and new financial mechanisms. This is a call for action,” AkinOlugbade said in opening remarks.

The New Agenda for Peace, which is at center stage of the UN’s Summit of the Future, highlights how different actors, including DFIs can serve as peace agents, and emphasises the role of partnerships, especially in the context of fragile and conflict affected countries, urging increased political and financial mobilisation to prevent conflicts.

The effects of three decades of a devastating civil war in Mozambique are still evident, Amilcar Tivane, Mozambique’s ViceMinister of Economy and Finance told participants, stressing the need for prevention.

The Mozambique government has learned innovative solutions to deal with the root causes of conflict and to address lingering security challenges in northern Mozambique such as terrorism and insurgency.

What has worked is a resilience building strategy together with partnerships, Tivane said. The country is also launching a new initiative for peace for the reconstruction of affected tourism areas “We have learned that prevention is critical,” he said, adding that, “Sometimes its difficult (for governments) to acknowledge that the social dimensions could have a significant impact.”