Ethiopian House of Peoples' Representatives Speaker Tagesse Chafo has urged the Horn of Africa nations to reclaim ownership of their shared destiny and move decisively from crisis management toward durable peace.

He made the remark in a keynote at the Horn Inter-Elite Dialogue (a.k.a. Jigjiga Forum) that opened Monday.

The House Speaking told senior officials and experts drawn from Somalia, Djibouti, Kenya, Ethiopia and regional bodies including IGAD: "The future of the Horn of Africa should not be written only in foreign capitals, [by] international reporters or [at] emergency meetings after crises have already occurred. It must be shaped here — by the people of the region.”

Tagesse underscored the deep historical and cultural significance of Jigjiga as host to the forum —a city that he described as a living symbol of the cross-border ties that define the Horn, a place of movement, exchange and resilience.

Striking a pointed critique, he said, the region’s story has for too long been narrated by voices from outside.

Tagesse anchored his central argument around the concept of "regional agency," defining it as the capacity to think, speak, cooperate and take responsibility collectively — while remaining open to international partnerships that genuinely reinforce rather than undermine regional priorities.

As such, the speaker made a clear distinction between dependence and collaboration, while insisting that outside engagement must respect sovereignty and dignity.

Tagesse weaves into a single argument the three thematic pillars of the forum — external security dynamics, cross-border community resilience, and trade as an integration vehicle, challenging delegates to leave regional political capital of Jigjiga with concrete commitments, rather than limiting themselves to just diagnosis of the region’s problems.

He expressed confidence that sustained dialogue — even when difficult — builds the habit of listening and the trust that political solutions ultimately require.