The Foundation for Peace Professionals (PeacePro) has said that the Year 2025 will witness the demilitarisation of Africa, following the significant momentum gained in 2024 in the campaign to close foreign military bases across the continent.
The executive director of PeacePro, Mr Abdulrazaq Hamzat, said: “This declaration comes in line with the ambitious 24-month demilitarisation target set in PeacePro’s Africa Peace Insight Report of 2023, a campaign that has gained considerable traction with several African nations closing or planning to close foreign military bases.”
Hamzat noted that in 2024, countries like Mali, Burkina Faso, Guinea, Ivory Coast, Chad, Niger and Senegal took historic steps in asserting their sovereignty by reducing foreign military presence or discussing plans to do so.
“These developments are significant as they signal a growing movement across the continent, aimed at promoting African-led security solutions and reducing external military interference,” he said.
Hamzat added that in the context of Africa’s growing movement toward demilitarisation, the countries of Djibouti, Somalia, and Kenya hold particular significance due to their prominent roles as hosts of major foreign military bases and as part of PeacePro’s advocacy for reducing foreign military influence across the continent.
He said that prioritising these countries in the demilitarisation effort is critical.
Hamzat maintained that, to build on the success of 2024, PeacePro has set an ambitious target of closing at least 80% of foreign military bases across the continent by the end of 2025.
“This goal will be pursued through an aggressive expansion of our advocacy, focused on engaging African governments, regional organisations, civil society, and international partners in a collective effort to prioritize Africa’s sovereignty in security matters,” he said.
Hamzat, therefore, called on African leaders, media, civil society organisations, and the global community to realise Africa’s vision of peace, sovereignty, and security without foreign military dominance in 2025.
“2024 marks a pivotal moment in the continent’s history, a chance to reshape the security landscape and build a future where African nations stand united in their pursuit of peace and self determination,” he said.
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