South Africa has committed to utilizing its permanent seat in the G20, which it will chair next year, to advocate for an African agenda focused on conflict resolution, climate change mitigation, and reparations. International Relations and Cooperation Minister Ronald Lamola emphasized the importance of funding in this effort during his address at the three-day annual African Peace and Security Dialogue, organized by the Thabo Mbeki Foundation.
Lamola highlighted the need to address the disproportionate funding challenges that Africa faces in tackling climate change. He stressed that all African nations must unite in calling for increased financial support to combat the devastating impacts of climate change, which he described as an “unmitigated disaster.”
Additionally, Lamola expressed South Africa’s commitment to lobbying for the implementation of the Pact of the Future, adopted at the recent 79th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). This pact aims to enhance global efforts toward peace and security, sustainable development, youth empowerment, and governance.
As South Africa prepares for the upcoming United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP29) in Baku, Azerbaijan, Lamola acknowledged criticisms regarding the lack of action following climate change promises made to the Global South. He indicated that South Africa’s leadership in the G20 would aim to ensure that the continent benefits from a surge of investment in critical minerals, amid growing competition among global powers for infrastructure development to support resource extraction.
To fully leverage its mineral wealth, Lamola urged Africa to quickly formulate a comprehensive critical mineral strategy. “Through the Africa Free Trade Area, we must build Africa’s beneficial projects and manufacturing capabilities and have a unified voice on critical minerals,” he stated, underscoring the need for collective action across the continent.
Africa currently grapples with around 40 active conflict zones, with 35 located in Sub-Saharan Africa, where armed groups often clash with government forces. A key objective of Africa’s Agenda 2063 is to “silence the guns” and eradicate all forms of violence, including civil conflicts, gender-based violence, and genocide.
In her keynote address, Leah Nyambu, director of peace and security at the Kenyan Ministry of Foreign Affairs, pointed to colonial boundaries as a significant factor contributing to conflicts on the continent. She argued that arbitrary borders established during colonial rule have left many African states divided and unstable. Nyambu called for a reassessment of historical grievances alongside addressing current governance challenges, such as weak institutions and resource mismanagement.
Tanzania’s Foreign Affairs Minister Mahmoud Thabit Kombo added that enhancing regional integration and collaboration could help alleviate border-related conflicts. “The more we are integrated, the less the conflict. The more we are disintegrated, the more the conflict,” he stated, advocating for investment in regional cooperation to resolve disputes.
South Africa has established itself as a pivotal player in seeking peaceful solutions to conflicts in Africa. Notably, it played a significant role in brokering peace in the Tigray War in Ethiopia in 2022. Additionally, South Africa is leading a regional initiative in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), where it has partnered with forces from Malawi and Tanzania to form the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Force, working alongside the Congolese National Army to neutralize M23 rebels.
As South Africa prepares to assume its G20 chairmanship, its focus on an African agenda underscores the urgent need for collaborative efforts to address the continent’s pressing challenges, from climate change to conflict resolution.
Leave a comment