The Foundation for Peace Professionals also known as PeacePro has announced that 2025 will be the “Year of Demilitarization of Africa,” following the significant momentum gained in 2024 in the campaign to close foreign military bases on the continent.
This declaration comes in line with the ambitious 24-month demilitarization 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.
In end of the year message by the Executive Director of PeacePro, Abdulrazaq Hamzat, the group said that in the past year, countries such as Mali, Burkina Faso, Guinea, Ivory Coast, Chad, Niger and Senegal had taken historic steps in asserting their sovereignty by reducing foreign military presence or discussing plans to do so.
Advertisement
To order your copy, send a WhatsApp message to +1 317 665 2180
According to Hamzat, these developments were significant as they signalled a growing movement across the continent, aimed at promoting African-led security solutions and reducing external military interference.
PeacePro also noted that in the context of Africa’s growing movement toward demilitarization, the countries of Djibouti, Somalia, and Kenya held particular significance due to their prominent roles as in hosts of major foreign military bases and as part of PeacePro’s advocacy for reducing foreign military influence across the continent, the prioritization of these countries in the demilitarization effort was critical.
Hamzat maintained that, in order to build on the success of 2024, PeacePro had set an ambitious target to achieve at least 80% closure of foreign military bases across the continent by the end of 2025.
This goal, he said, would be pursued through an aggressive expansion of our advocacy, focused on engaging African governments, regional organizations, civil society, and international partners in a collective effort to prioritize Africa’s sovereignty in security matters.
He stated: “PeacePro is committed to achieving a sovereign, peaceful Africa that is free from foreign military control. As we push forward into 2025, we stand firm in our belief that the path to peace lies in the hands of Africa’s people, guided by homegrown solutions that reflect the continent’s diverse cultures, strengths, and aspirations”
Hamzat, therefore, called on African leaders, media, civil society organizations, and the global community to join forces in realizing 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.
