WeeklySA_AdminREALITIES: The entity will convene continental leaders this September for the third edition of the annual indaba, focusing on conflict hotspots in Libya and the Horn of Africa as part of efforts to advance Africa’s peace and development agenda…
By Anga Jamela
The Thabo Mbeki Foundation (TMF) announced the 3rd Annual African Peace and Security Dialogue (APSD), which will take place from September 2 to 5 in Gauteng, South Africa.
The 2026 dialogue will feature dedicated deep-dive sessions on Libya and the Horn of Africa, specifically encompassing Ethiopia, Eritrea, and Somalia.
Africa’s deep aspiration for an African Renaissance relies entirely on establishing a peaceful and prosperous continent. Across the continent today, protracted wars, violent extremism, and governance crises constantly erode human security and reverse hard-won development gains. Because of these realities, peace is not just a sectoral issue.
It is the absolute enabling condition for every democratic and economic objective Africa pursues, and a core prerequisite for the ambitions of Agenda 2063 and the Sustainable Development Goals.
The Foundation established the APSD to help fill a persistent gap by providing credible, African-led spaces where diverse actors can discuss difficult conflicts frankly.
2026 Focus Areas
The 2026 Dialogue will feature high-level plenaries alongside closed-door practitioner roundtables, adopting a highly strategic dual focus:
Priority Deep Dives: Participants will engage in dedicated sessions on Libya and the Horn of Africa, encompassing Ethiopia, Eritrea, and Somalia.
Libya: The foundation will interrogate feasible pathways toward stabilisation. Also examine its fragmented security landscape, which creates spillovers affecting the Sahel and the Mediterranean.
The Horn of Africa: Will treat the region as a fully connected system rather than isolated country cases. The session will address overlapping pressures like unresolved governance disputes, maritime access, cross-border security, and intensifying geopolitical competition. Continental Follow-Up: The programme will maintain momentum by simultaneously tracking progress and emerging dynamics in Sudan, the Sahel, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Mozambique.
Looking Ahead
The ultimate objective of the 3rd APSD is to contribute to the “Silencing the Guns” agenda and the broader vision of the African Renaissance.
As one delegate powerfully reflected during our last dialogue, we must leave “not only with renewed commitments but with concrete actions:”. The foundation hope that in future dialogues it will be able to demonstrate tangible progress in the conflicts we address, born directly from the seeds planted at the APSD.
For more information or to discuss partnership engagements, please reach out to Lukhanyo Neer, Chief Operating Officer of the Thabo Mbeki Foundation. You can explore ways to engage and advance peace and security across the continent by contacting him directly at lukhanyo@mbeki.org. – Fullview
