Use diplomacy to neutralise attempts to undermine peace,retired diplomat tells African politicians
A retired diplomat, Ambassador Patrick R.D. Hayford, has underscored the need for stakeholders in Africa’s political and social development to use diplomacy to neutralise any attempt to undermine peace on the continent.
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Such diplomatic engagements, he said, must be bold and resolute enough to contain any conflicts and preserve the prevailing peace.
Ambassador Hayford made the call at the maiden edition of a lecture series dubbed: “Reflection on security series” organised by the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (FES) and the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre in Accra yesterday.
The programme, which was attended by representatives of the security agencies, diplomats, among other dignitaries, was on the theme: “Diplomacy as a tool for conflict prevention and peacekeeping: An African perspective”.
The security series are aimed at exploring and digesting in detail the role of diplomacy in achieving peace and stability.
Making reference to some conflicts in Africa, such as the Boko Haram in northern Nigeria, Ambassador Hayford said there had not been any progress in the Boko Haram issue because diplomatic negotiations between Nigeria and its neighbours had not been effective.
The retired diplomat, who was once Ghana’s High Commissioner to South Africa, expressed concern over the lack of effective action taken by the African Union (AU) and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) when member countries experienced political tension or escalating crises.
Additionally, a number of African bodies responsible for peace and stability on the continent were largely dependent on donor support.
Such development, he said, was risky for the independent and effective functioning of the institutions.
“Our institutions depend on international support, subventions and gifts. We need to find a way to generate the necessary resources to fund the structures responsible for peace and stability,” he said.
He cited the AU as one of the main institutions driven by funding from the European Union (EU), saying such funding was not a viable option.
“How can we in Africa fund our institutions to work based on a prioritised agenda?” he asked.
Some participants at the forum.
Leadership
While stressing the importance for regional political will and leadership in ensuring peace and stability, Ambassador Hayford said there had been occasions when strategic interventions had to come from outside Africa.
“In Cote d’Ivoire, after former President Laurent Gbagbo refused to accept the outcome of the elections, the critical point was the French intervention,” he said.
The challenge, he said, was that in future when there was crisis in one country, a neighbouring country would be preoccupied by its own internal challenges “to the extent that it will not be in a position to help”.
To confront that challenge, he suggested an African stand-by force that would “be strong enough and have the logistics and ability to be effective to undertake initial intervention when there is a problem”.