Meta Title: Ethiopia’s Pivotal Role in African Peace, Security & Continental Integration | AU Official
Meta Description: AU Ambassador Salah Hammad highlights Ethiopia’s central role in continental peace, the urgency of renegotiating colonial borders, and the critical need for African integration to solve landlocked challenges.
Focus Keyphrase: African continental integration
Slug: ethiopia-role-african-peace-security-integration-colonial-borders
Ethiopia Positioned as Linchpin for African Peace and Continental Integration, Says AU Official
Addis Ababa — The African Union (AU) has reiterated Ethiopia’s indispensable role in advancing peace and security across the continent, while issuing a clarion call for deeper African continental integration to resolve historical border disputes and unlock economic potential for landlocked nations.
In an exclusive interview, Ambassador Salah S. Hammad, Head of the Governance Architecture and African Peace and Security Architecture (AGA-APSA) Secretariat at the African Union Commission (AUC), outlined a vision where Addis Ababa serves not just as Ethiopia’s capital, but as the diplomatic heartbeat of the entire continent.
“Addis Ababa is no longer the political capital of Ethiopia alone. It is also the political capital of the entire continent, with the presence of the African Union Commission here,” Ambassador Hammad stated.
Addis Ababa: The Diplomatic Hub for Continental Stability
Because the AU Commission is headquartered in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia has naturally evolved into a primary destination for continental peace initiatives. Ambassador Hammad emphasized that this geographic reality imposes a significant responsibility on Ethiopia to champion mediation, conflict prevention, and post-conflict reconstruction efforts across the Horn of Africa and beyond.
The city’s status as the seat of the African Union transforms it into a neutral ground for dialogue, positioning Ethiopia as a natural convener for African-led solutions to African problems.
Why African Continental Integration Is No Longer Optional
Beyond security, Ambassador Hammad stressed that regional integration is the structural solution to Africa’s most persistent developmental bottlenecks. He argued that a truly borderless continent would immediately address the geopolitical disadvantage faced by landlocked countries—specifically regarding access to the sea.
“Africa should be integrated as a continental entity, and with that, Ethiopia and all other landlocked countries will have access to the sea as part of the one Africa that is united and peaceful,” he asserted.
This perspective aligns with the goals of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), which seeks to create a single market for goods and services facilitated by the free movement of people and capital.
Three Pillars for a United Africa: Borders, Integration, Dialogue
Ambassador Hammad identified three critical action items for African leaders to realize the vision of a united continent.
1. Renegotiating Colonial-Era Borders
The Ambassador highlighted that the vast majority of Africa’s current borders were drawn during the Berlin Conference of 1884–1885 by European powers with zero input from African communities. These arbitrary lines frequently split ethnic groups, kinship networks, and historical trade routes.
“The borders among African countries are inherited from the colonial era. Therefore, the time has come for the African leaders to sit together and to re-negotiate the borders that we have, because these borders are dividing our African people,” Hammad urged.
He argued that re-examining these boundaries is not a call for secessionism, but a mechanism to foster cross-border cooperation, resource sharing, and social cohesion.
2. Accelerating the Integration Agenda
Moving beyond rhetoric, Hammad demanded concrete political will to fast-track the integration agenda. This involves harmonizing regulatory frameworks, investing in transnational infrastructure (rail, road, energy, digital), and operationalizing the Protocol on Free Movement of Persons.
He noted that integration transforms the continent from a collection of fragmented economies into a formidable global bloc capable of negotiating on equal footing with other major economic unions.
3. Keeping Diplomatic Channels Permanently Open
The third pillar centers on conflict resolution mechanisms. Ambassador Hammad warned against the dangers of diplomatic rigidity.
“Thirdly, it is quite important that the door should not be closed for any negotiations that will lead to a solution that will be beneficial to all, among African member states,” he stressed.
He advocated for a culture of continuous dialogue—utilizing the AU’s Peace and Security Council (PSC) and regional economic communities (RECs) as primary forums—ensuring that disputes are resolved through legal and political frameworks rather than force.
The Path Forward: From Inherited Lines to Shared Futures
Reiterating the border argument, the AU official underscored that because current boundaries were “not developed or created by Africans,” the continent bears a collective responsibility to redesign its political geography in ways that promote cooperation over division.
As the host of the AU Commission, Ethiopia sits at the epicenter of this transformation. The success of the African integration project—encompassing peace, open borders, and shared maritime access—will largely depend on the political courage of current leaders to dismantle the colonial legacy and build a truly borderless continent.
