BAHIR DAR / ADDIS ABABA – Marking the conclusion of its 12th annual session, the Tana High-Level Forum on Security in Africa wrapped up its deliberations in Bahir Dar, Ethiopia. Convened under the overarching theme “The Pathways of African Peace, Economic Sovereignty, and Geopolitical Shifts,” the three-day gathering brought together prominent African leaders, policymakers, researchers, and security experts to address the continent’s compounding security challenges.
Amidst a backdrop of intense regional friction, former Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn delivered key perspectives on Ethiopia’s enduring role in maintaining regional stability, positioning the nation as the foundational security anchor of the Horn of Africa.
Reflecting on the legacy of the forum over the past twelve years, Hailemariam emphasized that the platform distinguishes itself from traditional international summits by fostering unvarnished, frank discussions among African leaders.
“The Tana Forum is uniquely successful because leaders and participants can express their thoughts freely without being constrained by conventional diplomatic language,” Hailemariam told journalists.
This candid environment has allowed the forum to transcend superficial rhetoric, generating substantive policy recommendations that have regularly fed into the African Union’s official peace and security architecture and continental reporting frameworks. By maintaining a space for critical self-reflection on governance, unconstitutional changes of government, and external proxy interference, the platform continues to serve as an intellectual incubator for home-grown African security solutions.
In his assessment of regional geopolitics, Hailemariam robustly defended Ethiopia’s position as the primary anchor of stability in the Horn of Africa. Representing a nation of over 130 million people, he argued that Ethiopia’s internal security and developmental trajectory are inextricably linked to the broader peace of the entire region.
Highlighting historical precedent, Hailemariam pointed to Ethiopia’s extensive diplomatic interventions—ranging from past mediation frameworks for the Sudanese political crisis to its persistent, stabilizing military and diplomatic contributions in Somalia under multilateral frameworks. Despite domestic security complexities and external pressures, Ethiopia’s strategic posture remains anchored in cooperative regional security.
“Ethiopia has consistently acted as the anchor of the region,” Hailemariam noted. “Moving forward, the country must steadfastly maintain its commitment to regional security while demonstrating that lasting stability can only be achieved through collective resilience and mutual cooperation.”
The core deliberations of the 12th Tana Forum heavily intersected with global economic shifts and the pursuit of true continental sovereignty. As traditional Western aid architectures fracture and new global powers expand their footprint in the Red Sea and East African corridors, African states face mounting pressures to safeguard their economic independence.
The forum’s discussions underscored that economic sovereignty cannot be decoupled from physical security. Food insecurity, climate shocks such as the severe droughts affecting the Horn of Africa and supply chain disruptions compound political instability, creating fertile ground for insurgent networks and transnational trafficking syndicates.
Touching upon the federal government’s domestic peacebuilding initiatives, Hailemariam emphasized that Addis Ababa has increasingly prioritized political settlements over prolonged military engagements. He noted that the government has demonstrated a willingness to move beyond mere rhetoric, undertaking tangible policy steps to resolve internal grievances through dialogue, negotiation, and compromise.
However, analysts at the forum cautioned that domestic political dialogue must be matched by robust institutional reforms and inclusive governance to prevent recurring cycles of ethnic and regional polarization.
As the 12th Tana Forum draws to a close, its resolutions serve as both a diagnostic tool and a strategic roadmap for the African Union and regional nation-states. In an era defined by intensifying geopolitical competition, fractured state structures, and transnational security threats, the insights shared in Bahir Dar reinforce a central reality: African-led security frameworks, anchored by regional heavyweights like Ethiopia, remain the most viable path toward sustainable peace, economic emancipation, and continental resilience.
