Eritrea tells AU summit conflict prevention must start at the national level
At the African Union's 21st Extraordinary Session in Luanda, Eritrea's delegation named ethnic polarization, corruption and external interference as Africa's main conflict drivers, and called for the AU to rely less on outside funding.
By Eyob Hadgu · 31 August 2026
The African Union's Assembly hall, of the kind where Eritrea's delegation addressed the 21st Extraordinary Session in Luanda. (Illustration)
Eritrea's delegation told the African Union's 21st Extraordinary Session of the Assembly, held in Luanda, Angola on 30 August, that "effective conflict prevention begins at the national level," according to a statement published by Eritrea's Ministry of Information. The delegation argued African states carry the primary responsibility for peace and security within their own borders.
The statement named "ethnic and religious polarization, state fragility, corruption, exclusionary and divisive politics, and external interference" as the continent's main conflict drivers, and called for a shift "from identity-based and divisive politics towards citizenship-based politics."
Africa can truly be the master of its own destiny only when it asserts and safeguards its ownership.
On resources, the delegation said wealth should move away from being concentrated among elites and toward "equitable utilization of national resources for the benefit of all citizens." It also said the African Union should strengthen domestic funding to reduce "the African Union's dependence on external funding," and described peace, security and development as interconnected, requiring inclusive programs built on social justice and institutional restoration.
This report draws on the statement as published by Eritrea's Ministry of Information (Shabait). No other delegation's response to the statement was available at time of writing.
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