Tana Forum Emerges as Key Platform for African Security Dialogue: Organizers

Addis Ababa, October 8, 2026 (ENA) — The Tana High-Level Forum on Security in Africa has continued to produce remarkable diplomatic value by creating an open platform for African leaders and policymakers to engage in frank discussions on the continent’s peace and security challenges, organizers said.

The 12th Tana High-Level Forum is scheduled to take place in Bahir Dar, on the shores of Lake Tana, from October 23 to 25 under the theme “Pathways to Peace in Africa: Economic Sovereignty and Geopolitical Transformation.”

Briefing journalists today, Deputy Director General at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Fitsum Girma, said preparations are well underway for the successful hosting of the Forum.

He said the Forum has generated numerous intangible outcomes by creating opportunities for bilateral engagements among leaders alongside its formal sessions.

According to Fitsum, the Forum provides an informal setting where heads of state and other senior officials can engage openly, exchange perspectives and explore policy options on pressing regional security issues.

He underscored that Ethiopia has actively participated in the Forum as part of its diplomatic engagement and efforts to advance dialogue on peace and security in Africa.

The upcoming Forum is expected to bring together leaders from various countries, heads of regional and international institutions, former leaders and senior policymakers. Special attention will be given to discussions among Horn of Africa special envoys and bilateral engagements between leaders.

Head of the Tana Forum Secretariat and Director of the Africa Peace and Security Programme, Lettie T. Longwe, said the Forum will focus on peace and security challenges in East Africa while providing space for bilateral discussions among participating leaders.

She said a consultation involving Pan-African scholars will also be held in collaboration with Bahir Dar University, while more than 250 participants are expected to attend the Forum.

Director of the Institute for Peace and Security Studies at Addis Ababa University, Mercy Fekadu, said the Forum will address pressing African security issues through both formal deliberations and informal engagements.

“Beyond the formal platform, Tana Forum creates an open space where leaders can engage in in-depth dialogue on security issues in the region,” she said.

Established as an annual platform for African-led dialogue on peace, security and development, the Tana Forum has positioned itself as a space where decision-makers, experts and other stakeholders can engage beyond conventional diplomatic settings.

The 12th edition comes as African countries confront increasingly interconnected security, economic and geopolitical challenges, with this year’s agenda placing economic sovereignty and geopolitical transformation at the center of discussions.