By Sheriff Mahmud Ismail | Bahir Dar, Ethiopia | 24 October 2026
Former Sierra Leonean President Ernest Bai Koroma is attending the 12th Tana High-Level Forum on Security in Africa in Bahir Dar, Ethiopia, where discussions are focusing on economic sovereignty, regional security and Africa’s place in a changing global order.
The three-day gathering, running from 23 to 25 October, is being held under the theme “Pathways to Peace in Africa: Economic Sovereignty and Geopolitical Transformation.”
Convened by the Institute for Peace and Security Studies at Addis Ababa University, the forum brings together political leaders, former heads of state, diplomats, security experts, academics, civil society representatives and international partners.
Koroma is scheduled to participate in a high-level panel titled “From the Margins to the Centre: Building an African Model for Peace and Sovereignty in an Age of Geopolitical Rivalry.” His participation comes as the forum examines how African countries can strengthen their influence over decisions affecting their security and development.
The discussions extend beyond military responses to conflict. They explore the relationship between lasting peace, accountable institutions, economic opportunity and countries’ ability to manage their resources and determine their own priorities.
Security challenges in the Horn of Africa
The Horn of Africa provides an urgent backdrop to the gathering. War in Sudan, insecurity in Somalia, political fragility in South Sudan and tensions involving Ethiopia and Eritrea highlight the need for sustained diplomacy and regional cooperation.
These challenges intersect with competition over ports, trade routes, natural resources and strategic influence around the Red Sea and the wider Indian Ocean. External involvement can further complicate efforts to resolve local disputes.
The forum offers an opportunity to examine how African institutions can respond more effectively to these pressures while strengthening mediation, conflict prevention and cooperation between neighbouring states.
Economic sovereignty and lasting peace
A central question is how Africa can turn its natural resources, agricultural potential and growing digital economy into wider prosperity.
The debate includes transparent resource agreements, local processing, industrial investment and financial arrangements that allow African economies to retain more value. Regional integration and control over essential digital infrastructure are also part of the discussion.
These issues have direct implications for peace. Limited employment, unequal access to wealth and weak public institutions can deepen grievances and undermine confidence in government.
The forum’s agenda also covers resource and monetary sovereignty, financing for African peace and security institutions, digital dependence, illicit economies and the future of regional integration.
Koroma’s scheduled panel provides a platform to consider these questions through the experience of national leadership, governance and post-conflict recovery. His specific remarks will be reported following his contribution.
Turning discussions into action
The significance of the gathering will depend on what follows its deliberations.
Practical progress will require clear priorities, defined responsibilities, realistic timelines and sustained support from the African Union, regional organisations and national governments.
For the Horn of Africa, priorities include diplomatic efforts to reduce tensions, support a political settlement in Sudan and prevent conflicts from spreading across borders.
Addressing the economic networks that sustain violence will also be essential, alongside investment in livelihoods, public services and institutions capable of maintaining public trust.
Set beside Lake Tana, the forum brings together participants whose countries face different pressures but share a common challenge: ensuring that African perspectives shape the continent’s security agenda.
Koroma’s participation adds a former Sierra Leonean leader’s perspective to that debate. The wider test is whether the discussions produce commitments and partnerships that deliver lasting benefits beyond the conference hall.
Further updates will follow on his contribution to the forum.
