Summary
- Uhuru Kenyatta warns trust deficit is Africa’s biggest peace challenge
- Calls for better governance, inclusion, and fair resource sharing
- Remarks made at global arbitration forum in Johannesburg
NAIROBI, Kenya- Former President Uhuru Kenyatta has warned that a growing trust deficit is undermining peace efforts across Africa, saying agreements often fail due to broken relationships between governments and citizens.
Speaking in Johannesburg during the 2026 Johannesburg Arbitration Week, Kenyatta said sustaining peace deals is far more difficult than signing them.
Why Uhuru says trust is Africa’s biggest peace challenge
Kenyatta noted that many mediation efforts collapse because of mistrust among communities and between leaders and citizens.
Drawing from his involvement in conflicts in South Sudan, Ethiopia, and Democratic Republic of Congo, he stressed that governance failures often lie at the heart of instability.
He said inclusive leadership and equitable resource distribution are critical to long-term peace.
Call for unity as Africa faces fragmentation
Kenyatta warned that divisions within continental institutions are weakening Africa’s collective strength.
He contrasted current fragmentation with the unity seen during the early Pan-Africanism era.
“Unity is not just an ideal, it is a necessity,” he said.
Leaders convene to discuss Africa’s future in global order
The forum, hosted by the Arbitration Foundation of Southern Africa, brought together global experts under the theme of arbitration in a fragmented world.
Other high-level participants included former leaders Joaquim Chissano, Goodluck Jonathan, and Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.
The discussions focused on dispute resolution, trade, and sustainable development in a changing global landscape.