Excellencies former Heads of State and Government,

Excellencies Honorable Ministers,

Mr. President of the Amhara Regional State,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

It gives me a great pleasure to address the opening of this 8th edition of the Tana Forum devoted to the examination of the political dynamics in the Horn of Africa and the nurturing of its emerging peace trends. At a time of far-reaching changes in the region, one could not have thought of a more fitting theme for this year’s Forum.

This gives us a timely platform to take stock of current developments, exchange ideas on how to sustain the existing momentum, and make concrete recommendations on the way forward.

Ladies and gentlemen,

The ongoing developments in the Horn of Africa are, by any measure, historical. They represent a tectonic shift in an environment where some of the existing conflicts seemed frozen.

Today, the situation in the Horn of Africa has changed out of all recognition. This is a region infused with a new spirit of hope. We are in a truly pivotal period with few precedents in our recent history.

Let me take this opportunity to, once more, extend my congratulations to Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed. I welcome his ambitious reform agenda in Ethiopia, as well as his courageous decision to reach out to Eritrea, bringing to an end a tragic twenty-year period of conflict and hostility.

Similarly, I would like to renew my congratulations to President Isaias Afwerki for receiving this offer of peace with open arms. Indeed, it takes courage to set aside decades of mistrust and move towards reconciliation.

The momentum generated by the reconciliation between Eritrea and Ethiopia contributed to the resumption of relations between Djibouti and Eritrea.

In South Sudan, the IGAD-led revitalization process holds the promise to bring to an end the untold suffering visited upon the South Sudanese people.

As we convene here, historic developments are taking place in Sudan. In line with its relevant instruments, the African Union has clearly pronounced itself in favor of a consensual and civilian-led transition.

Such a transition will make it possible to meet the aspirations of the Sudanese people and lay a solid foundation for the democratic transformation of Sudan.

This opportunity should be seized. Sudan’s stability and prosperity matter for the entire continent.

Finally, mention should be made of Somalia, which continues to make steady progress towards peace and reconciliation.

Ladies and gentlemen,

Over the past two decades, the African Union and its predecessor, the Organization of African Unity, have been actively involved in the search for solutions to the myriad challenges facing the Horn of Africa.

Eighteen years ago, the OAU facilitated the signing of the Algiers Agreements, with the view of promoting lasting peace between Eritrea and Ethiopia. I am glad to note that this objective is now being achieved.

There are few countries in the continent in which the African Union has invested as much as it did in Sudan. It has been and remains at the forefront of continental solidarity with Sudan.

Our Union was indeed the first to deploy peacekeepers in Sudan; it convened peace talks; and took major steps to help address the structural causes of conflict and instability in Sudan, including through the high-level panel chaired by former President Thabo Mbeki.

In addition, the African Union is supporting the ongoing negotiations among the Sudanese stakeholders to help chart a consensual way forward for the transition.

In Somalia, the African Union launched its largest peace support operation to date. Through the sacrifices of its uniformed and civilian personnel, AMISOM has written one of the most glorious pages of African peace endeavors. AMISOM has also given rise to a creative partnership between the African Union and the United Nations, the European Union and others.

Given the linkages between the various challenges confronting the Horn of Africa, the African Union, for many years now, has advocated for a regional and multidimensional approach. Concrete action is being taken in this regard. It is worth mentioning here the October 2017 Khartoum Meeting on Peace, Security, Stability, Development and Cooperation in the Horn, organized by the African Union in collaboration with IGAD. Its conclusions continue to serve as the basis for ongoing work of the high-level implementation panel on this issue.

This undertaking also covers the relationship with the non-African countries that are riverine of the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea. Here is a common space that should be managed in a way that fosters security, stability and development, especially in view of the adverse impact that extra-regional rivalries can have on the Horn, as unfortunately illustrated by recent developments in Somalia.

Clearly, there is a shared future between these countries and our continent.

I am convinced that we can rely on the leadership of President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi of Egypt to reinforce these ties and help ground them in clear principles. President al-Sisi is the

Chairperson of our Union and his country has the dual quality of being both Arab and African, and on the shores of the Red Sea.

The Afro-Arab Summit planned in Saudi Arabia, this November, offers a unique opportunity in this respect.

Mesdames Messieurs,

Il est clair que la situation dans la Corne de l’Afrique évolue favorablement. Rendre cette évolution irréversible exige une vision à long terme, une forte volonté politique et une démarche fondée sur le consensus le plus large possible.

De façon pratique, plusieurs questions se posent à nous: Comment consolider les acquis obtenus? Comment surmonter les nombreux défis qui nous attendent? Comment assurer que l’espoir soulevé n’est pas trahi?

Je voudrais me hasarder à offrir ici quelques éléments de réponse. Premièrement, il me semble nécessaire d’approfondir la confiance retrouvée au niveau des relations bilatérales, de l’élargir à l’ensemble de la région, et de s’assurer que les progrès accomplis sont institutionnalisés à travers les arrangements régionaux existants. À cet égard, il importe d’œuvrer, de façon acharnée, au renforcement de l’IGAD et de son rôle.

Deuxièmement, nous devons renouveler notre attachement à la démocratie, au respect des droits de l'homme et à la bonne gouvernance. Ces valeurs, qui sont énoncées par l’Acte constitutif de l’Union africaine, sont la garantie, dans la durée, de la stabilité et de la paix. L’IGAD a un rôle vital à jouer dans leur promotion et respect par ses États membres.

Troisièmement, l’Afrique a beaucoup à gagner du respect du droit international et du multilatéralisme, surtout au regard des circonstances qui sont présentement les nôtres. Cet engagement est d’autant plus crucial que nous observons, ailleurs dans le monde, une montée de l’approche transactionnelle des relations internationales fondée une conception étroite de ce qu’est l’intérêt national, avec un impact négatif sur l’Afrique.

Nous devons œuvrer sans relâche au renforcement du rôle des Nations unies et du multilatéralisme dans la recherche de solutions durables aux défis globaux de l’heure. De façon plus spécifique, la région, avec le soutien de l'Union africaine, pourrait envisager l’organisation d’interactions régulières avec les autres pays de la Mer Rouge. L’objectif, ce faisant, serait de convenir des voies et moyens les meilleurs pour bâtir un partenariat étroit basé sur des principes clairs.

Quatrièmement, nous devons mobiliser toutes les ressources intellectuelles nécessaires en appui à notre action. Dans leur Déclaration de Tripoli de 2009 sur l'élimination des conflits en Afrique et la promotion durable de la paix, les dirigeants africains se sont engagés à renforcer la capacité de nos universités et de nos instituts de recherche, pour qu’ils soient plus à même d’explorer la nature des conflits en Afrique, d’identifier les facteurs qui contribuent à la réussite des efforts de règlement des conflits et les causes des échecs et, partant, de formuler des recommandations permettant d’arriver à des solutions proprement africaines, tenant compte de l’expérience particulière qui est la nôtre.

Le Forum de Tana, qui est né de la prise de conscience que l'instauration et la pérennisation de la paix est aussi une entreprise intellectuelle, est particulièrement bien placé pour relever ce défi.