Nairobi, Jan 27 Kenyan President William Ruto, who is also the champion of the African Union (AU) institutional reforms, said on Monday that conflict continues to deny Africa of its potential, costing the continent an estimated 18 billion US dollars annually and displacing millions of people.
Ruto said Africa currently hosts 35 million internally displaced persons, 8.9 million refugees, 1.1 million asylum seekers, and one million stateless persons.
"Between April and June 2024 alone, a total of 1,000 terrorism incidents were recorded across Africa, resulting in 4,818 deaths," he said during the high-level Extended Bureau Retreat on AU Institutional Reforms held in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi.
The day-long event brought together presidents from Guinea-Bissau, Ethiopia, Ghana, and the Comoros, as well as Moussa Faki, Chairperson of the AU Commission, to accelerate reforms of the 55-member continental organisation.
Ruto noted that the AU security architecture in its current configuration is incapable of addressing the continent's complex dynamics and challenges, and there is an urgent need for immediate revitalization of the peace and security architecture.
He also said the pan-African bloc's presence in regional hotspots remains weak, fragmented, and under-resourced, Xinhua news agency reported.
The Kenyan leader added that the continent's developmental goals are being hindered by destabilizing forces, given that peace is the key to development.
Last week, Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi urged intensified efforts to maintain peace and security in the Red Sea and the Horn of Africa, stressing the region's strategic importance to global stability.
Sisi made the remarks at a joint press conference with visiting Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud following their meeting on Thursday, the Egyptian Presidency said in a statement.
"We agreed on the need to intensify efforts to maintain peace and security in that vital region, which affects global security," Sisi said, referring to the Red Sea and the Horn of Africa.
He highlighted the outcome of the October 2024 Asmara Summit among Egypt, Somalia, and Eritrea, describing it as "significant progress in relations and coordination among our countries," and stressed the importance of building on the summit by holding a second trilateral meeting "to fortify this partnership."
--IANS
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