5th Tana Forum kicks off today, security top in the agenda

The 5th Tana High-Level Forum on Security in Africa, under the theme “Africa in the Global Security Agenda”, will take place on 16-17 April 2016 in Bahir Dar, Ethiopia.

According to the organizers, in coming up with this year’s theme is “the impetus is to grasp the reasons why Africa’s security challenges are attracting substantial global attention whereas the continent’s own experience and articulation of the issues has yet to obtain commensurate global significance.”  It is evident today, more than any time in the past, that Africa needs to rally a unified and amplified voice—and agency—if it is to assert its own interests in international security debates, organizers further said.

 

The choice of the theme is timely and appropriate, especially now that Africa is at the receiving end of a variety of security experiments; a variety of security doctrines pushed by key state and non-state actors are all supposedly aspiring for home grown solutions. Africa not only suffers acute security problems but is also at the forefront of pioneering innovative security responses. The continent’s myriad security concerns are triggering global ripples; from conflict over resources to mass distress migration, from hybrid internal-international conflicts to the challenges of multilateral peace support operations, to name a few.

 

“Once again, Tana 2016 will afford African Heads of State and Governments, high-level government officials, notable African personalities, academics, third sector leaders as well as a spectrum of international actors, another opportune space to discuss Africa’s role and responsibility within the international security arena.”

 

Current and former Heads of State and Government, distinguished leaders of regional and sub-regional bodies, representatives from the private sector, concerned civil society from Africa, eminent personalities from politics and media, representatives of African and non-African multi-lateral bodies, and important partners are expected to attend the Forum.