Second Peace and Security Forum in Lomé

The Togolese capital has been hosting the second Lomé Peace and Security Forum (LPSF II) since Saturday, October 11. This event brings together high-level figures, including Liberian President Joseph Boakai, former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, as well as UN representatives such as Leonardo Santos Simão, Special Representative for West Africa and the Sahel, and Huang Xia, Special Envoy for the Great Lakes Region.

The forum was officially opened by the President of the Council, Faure Essozimna Gnassingbé. For two days, Lomé will serve as a platform for strategic dialogue aimed at promoting solutions adapted to the challenges of stability and sustainable development in Africa.

Organized with the support of UNDP, the forum is taking place under the theme “Africa Facing Complex Security Challenges.” It includes thematic panels and multi-stakeholder discussions, addressing topics such as:

• Opportunities for sustainable stabilization in the Great Lakes region.
• Africa's strategic autonomy in a changing geopolitical context.
• The role of leaders, youth, and artificial intelligence in building lasting peace.

In his inaugural address, Faure Gnassingbé stressed the importance of Africa becoming the main actor in its own security. He stated:

“Too often, our continent has been seen as a theater for external rivalries. Our problems have been analyzed from other capitals, and solutions have been decided and imposed from other quarters. But the world is changing, and this model is over. The future of African security will first be played out here, on our continent.”

He also stressed the need to build peace through local cohesion, inclusion and social justice, saying that:

“Peace is not decreed, it is built. It is built through inclusion and social justice.”

Faure Gnassingbé called for a community policy that encourages the participation of citizens, including women, youth and civil society, in order to promote community dialogue and national reconciliation.

Therese V.