The Chairperson of the IGAD Heads of State has called on the region to exert more efforts in peace-building to create a safe environment for investment.
Dr. Abiy Ahmed, who is also the Prime Minister of Ethiopia, says the horn of Africa should always address its challenges through inclusive dialogue.
IGAD countries consist of Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, Uganda, Djibouti, Sudan and South Sudan.
But Somalia, Sudan and South Sudan have been bogged down by years of conflicts as a result of political and communal wrangles.
Dr. Abiy urges the leaders, mainly in Sudan and South Sudan – to engage youth in addressing the economic challenges of the region, rather than recruiting them for civil wars.
“It’s time for our region to focus on the inevitable journey of a robust economic integration,” the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize winner said at the launch of the Sudan’s Peace Talks in Juba on Monday.
“The time has come to give a better chance to our youth through pooling our cooperative advantages to common goals and development.
“This, we can only do, when all stakeholders in each of our countries commit to peace.”
Dr. Abiy went on to say the region has the potential to become a symbol of peace and economic prosperity in Africa:
“We have witnessed peace between Ethiopia and Eritrea, the silence of guns in South Sudan, and the successful Sudanese reconciliation. What we have achieved together are building-blocs for our region’s shared goals and collective prosperity.”
He hints that it requires a political will and an empowered citizenry, adding that: “I believe there is nothing that we cannot achieve as a region.”