At Lomé Forum, Africa Confronts a New Security Era

By Fidel Amakye Owusu

Last Friday, I arrived in Lomé for the second edition of the Lomé Peace and Security Forum – an event that has swiftly established itself as a critical nexus for reimagining African security architecture in an era of geopolitical flux and technological disruption.

I was honored to attend once again at the invitation of Abdisaid M. Ali, the Forum’s Chairman and a distinguished former National Security Advisor and Foreign Minister of Somalia. His strategic foresight and deep regional expertise continue to shape the Forum’s relevance and rigor.

As a Ghanaian analyst – and citizen of a neighboring West African nation – my journey to Togo was not only logistically seamless but also emblematic of the regional solidarity the Forum seeks to foster. Indeed, Togolese hospitality, warm and unwavering, provided the perfect backdrop for high-level dialogue among diplomats, security practitioners, technologists, and civil society leaders from across the continent and beyond.

From Crisis Response to Strategic Foresight

The inaugural 2023 Forum convened amid acute regional instability. The military coup in Niger had just fractured the fragile consensus within the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), triggering sanctions, threats of military intervention, and retaliatory posturing from junta-led regimes.

That summit rightly centered on crisis management – how to de-escalate tensions, preserve democratic norms, and contain spillover effects from the Sahel’s expanding security vacuum.

Two years on, the 2025 edition reflected a maturing agenda. While the Sahel remains volatile, the Forum pivoted toward proactive, long-term strategies for peace.

Panels tackled themes as diverse as sustainable stabilization in the Great Lakes region, Africa’s pursuit of strategic autonomy amid great-power competition, and – perhaps most presciently – the dual-edged role of artificial intelligence (AI) in peacebuilding.

AI and the New Frontier of African Security

One of the most compelling sessions asked: “Artificial Intelligence: Challenge or Opportunity for Sustainable Peace in Africa?” The question is urgent.

Of Africa’s 54 nations, only 16 have adopted national AI strategies – a gap that leaves the continent vulnerable to exploitation by non-state actors. Panelists warned that violent extremist organizations and transnational criminal networks are already experimenting with AI-driven disinformation, surveillance evasion, and automated recruitment.

The message was clear: African states must move beyond reactive cybersecurity measures and embed ethical, inclusive AI governance into their national security frameworks. Doing so isn’t merely a technological imperative – it’s a prerequisite for democratic resilience.

Beyond Geopolitics: Investing in People

Equally vital was the Forum’s focus on youth leadership. With over 60 percent of Africa’s population under 25, any sustainable peace architecture must empower the next generation as co-creators – not just beneficiaries – of security policy.

Sessions spotlighting youth-led peace initiatives offered a hopeful counterpoint to narratives of instability, underscoring that demography can be a dividend, not a liability.

A Forum with Staying Power

Over three intense days, the Lomé Forum proved its mettle as more than a talking shop. It fostered genuine dialogue, bridged silos between defense and development actors, and elevated African voices in global security discourse.

Reconnecting with colleagues previously known only through LinkedIn – and forging new alliances with innovators from Kinshasa to Cape Town – was a reminder that trust, like peace, is built person by person.

The organizers, led by Mr. Ali’s steady hand, deserve commendation for curating a program that was both intellectually rigorous and operationally relevant.

Looking Ahead

With the third edition slated for 2027, the Lomé Peace and Security Forum is well-positioned to become Africa’s premier platform for redefining peace in the 21st century – not as the mere absence of war, but as the presence of justice, inclusion, and adaptive governance in the face of emerging threats.

As the continent navigates an increasingly multipolar world, forums like Lomé are not just welcome – they are essential.

Fidel Amakye Owusu is an International Relations and Security Analyst. He is an Associate at the Conflict Research Consortium for Africa and has previously hosted an International Affairs program with the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC). He is passionate about Diplomacy and realizing Africa’s global potential and how the continent should be viewed as part of the global collective.