IGAD Eminent Personalities Forum in Nairobi Calls for Greater Role of Women and Youth in Peacebuilding.
By Archaedious Kubai | Nairobi
Nairobi, Kenya —
The IGAD Regional Forum for Eminent Personalities and Leaders for Peace convened today at the Radisson Blu Hotel, bringing together top-tier government officials, diplomats, and civil society actors to reaffirm the Horn of Africa’s shared commitment to inclusive conflict resolution and preventive diplomacy.
Organized by the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), the high-level meeting spotlighted the evolving role of senior leaders in Track II diplomacy—informal, non-governmental mediation efforts—and emphasized the urgent need to institutionalize the participation of women and youth in peace processes.
Cabinet Secretary for Gender, Culture, the Arts and Heritage, Hon. Aisha Jumwa Cheptumo, delivered the keynote address, hailing the gathering as a “privilege and profound responsibility” in tackling persistent regional challenges including displacement, gender-based violence, and recurring conflict.
“Throughout our history, women and young people have consistently emerged as agents of preventive diplomacy—often through unofficial channels we now seek to elevate,” said Cheptumo.
She referenced Kenya’s progressive policies—such as the 2019 National Policy on Gender and Development, the Sexual Offences Act (2019), and a robust GBV Monitoring & Evaluation Framework—as examples that have yielded “measurable peace dividends.”
Cheptumo proposed the creation of a regional Track II mediation framework rooted in cross-border mentorship, intergenerational dialogue, and cultural heritage. She emotionally invoked the memory of 5,578 women and girls killed by femicide in 2024, calling the deaths “a tragic indictment of our failure in preventive diplomacy.”
“Each number represents a life lost, a family shattered, and a failure of diplomacy at the domestic level,” she stated, urging coordinated regional action against structural violence targeting women.
Kenya’s Principal Secretary for Foreign Affairs, Dr. Abraham Korir Sing’Oei, praised IGAD’s vision for forming the Council of Eminent Personalities, reiterating Kenya’s long-standing role in promoting peace across the region.
“We must harness the wisdom, moral authority, and trusted voices of these leaders to supplement formal peace efforts,” said Dr. Sing’Oei, advocating for indigenous solutions to protracted conflicts, climate-induced crises, and cross-border insecurity.
He added: “Our elders have always mediated family disputes, guided communities, and rebuilt trust—their role today is just as vital.”
IGAD Executive Secretary, Dr. Workneh Gebeyehu, issued a pointed challenge to participants, urging deeper reflection on the region’s moral compass in peacebuilding.
“Our legitimacy does not come from power but from trust,” he said. “Have we remained as neutral as those giants before us, or have the winds of change eroded our moral authority?”
The event was attended by key development partners including Japan’s Ambassador to Kenya, H.E. Hiroshi Matsuura, who received praise for Japan’s long-standing support of gender equality, peace, and cross-border cooperation across East Africa.
Looking ahead, leaders presented a roadmap to deepen regional cooperation through:
- The UN-AU Women’s Forum in Addis Ababa
- The IGAD Youth Forum on Peace in Entebbe
- A Pan-African Youth Peace Conference scheduled for Nairobi later this year
Kenya also pledged full participation in the revitalized IGAD Women, Peace and Security Forum, with an emphasis on land rights, gender equity, climate resilience, and peace.
“Let history bear witness to this gathering,” said Dr. Sing’Oei. “Africa’s future peace will not be forged only at the table of power, but in the hearts and homes of our people.”
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