NAIROBI, Kenya – The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) has urged young people across its member states to take a frontline role in preventing conflict and fostering peace, warning that stability in the Horn of Africa cannot be achieved without their direct involvement.
Speaking at the IGAD Youth Peace and Security Conference in Nairobi on Wednesday, Executive Secretary Dr. Workneh Gebeyehu said the days when youth were “passive beneficiaries” of peace processes are over.
“There is no peace without the youth, and there’s no youth without peace,” Gebeyehu told delegates. “The age of youth as passive beneficiaries is over. The age of youth as partners in peace has begun.”
The IGAD chief called on young people to use their skills, networks and creativity to safeguard the interests of their communities, citing Sudan as an urgent example of why youth must be engaged in peace work.
“Silence will not help. We have to be the voice of the Sudanese people; this can happen to any country,” he said. “As IGAD, we are working with both soft and hard power to bring back peace and tranquillity in the region. I urge you to be peace ambassadors.”
Gebeyehu also highlighted IGAD’s Conflict Early Warning and Response Mechanism (CEWARN), which trains youth to spot and report signs of potential conflict — from local market disputes to tensions along international borders.
He said the initiative has already helped prevent outbreaks of violence by empowering “young peace monitors” to provide real-time intelligence.
IGAD’s Centre of Excellence for Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism has also trained over 500 young leaders since 2018, equipping them to develop alternative messages that challenge radicalization and build community resilience.
“These young champions are not just recipients of our programs; they are architects of innovative solutions,” Gebeyehu added.
Representing Sports and Youth Affairs Cabinet Secretary Salim Mvurya, President’s Award CEO Margaret Kiogora echoed the sentiment, saying peace and development are inseparable.
“Youths are not just recipients of peace but drivers of it,” she said. “Without peace, there is no development and no jobs — but when young people are supported, they create lasting peace.”
The conference brought together youth leaders, policymakers, and regional experts to explore ways of integrating young people into formal peace processes across the IGAD region, which includes Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda, Somalia, Sudan, South Sudan, Djibouti, and Eritrea.
