Ghana has called for stronger African ownership of both peace and security efforts and the financing needed to sustain them, as African leaders met in Luanda for the 21st Extraordinary AU Summit.

Speaking at the summit, Ghana reaffirmed its position that Africa’s responsibility for peace and security must be matched by greater control over how those efforts are financed.

Ghana said the continent continues to face persistent and changing conflicts despite having established a comprehensive African Union peace and security architecture.

The country urged African leaders to focus on making existing mechanisms more effective, better coordinated and adequately funded.

Ghana placed particular emphasis on predictable, sustainable and African-led financing, arguing that early warning systems must lead to early action—and that timely action requires resources that are available when needed.

The country welcomed progress in operationalising the African Union Peace Fund and supported continued efforts to build up the fund toward its one-billion-dollar target.

Ghana said Africa needs a financing system that is predictable enough for long-term planning, flexible enough to respond to emerging crises and sustainable enough to reduce excessive dependence on external funding.

The country also pointed to lessons from the Accra Reset, saying efforts toward self-financing should extend beyond healthcare to peace and security.

As African leaders consider the decisions, action plan and implementation framework emerging from the Luanda summit, Ghana called for clear responsibilities, timelines, measurable targets and credible financing arrangements.

Ghana stressed that Africa has discussed self-reliance in peace and security for too long and now needs to turn commitments into concrete action.

The 21st Extraordinary AU Summit in Luanda is focused on strengthening Africa’s mechanisms for preventing and resolving conflicts and improving the continent’s capacity to respond to peace and security challenges.