Munich Security Conference: Kofi Annan speaks on security in Africa

The conflict in Ukraine and the wars in the Middle East overshadowed the 51st Munich Security Conference. This is an annual meeting attended by leading figures in the field of international security. The Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH was invited to organise a discussion on African approaches to peacekeeping and peacebuilding.

Under the banner ‘African and Global Perspectives on Peacekeeping and Peacebuilding’ former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo and former United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan outlined the challenges posed by international peace missions in Africa. Vice-Chair of the GIZ Management Board Christoph Beier opened the event. ‘The African Union and other regional organisations have developed an impressive security architecture,’ said Beier and pointed out that in spite of the large number of armed conflicts, mediation institutions have become an established fact in Africa, as has the deployment of peacekeeping troops. In his capacity as Chairperson of the Tana High-Level Forum on Security in Africa, Olesegun Obasanjo drew parallels to the Munich Security Conference, on which it was modelled. Munich continues to be a partner for the Tana Forum.

Kofi Annan spoke of the progress made on the African continent. ‘Today, in many countries, elections are simply a matter of course, and this has done much to reinforce the legitimacy of governments. But solutions to the social challenges facing us are also indispensable for stability in Africa.’

At another event held during the Munich Security Conference, approaches were discussed for supporting Syrian refugees in Lebanon. Lebanon has taken in more than one million refugees from its neighbour – more than any other state. Refugees now account for almost half the population of Lebanon. For this small and fragile country, the pressure is enormous. The Forum Civil Peace Service demonstrates how Lebanese civil society can deal with the resulting tensions. In this context, Christoph Beier stressed the importance of psychosocial care for refugees.

Photos: Hildenbrand/MSC