Uganda’s Defence Minister Kiryowa Kiwanuka has called on African countries to stop exporting raw materials and importing finished products, arguing that local value addition and wealth creation are critical to achieving economic sovereignty and lasting peace on the continent.
Kiwanuka made the remarks while representing President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni at the 12th Tana High-Level Forum on Security in Africa in Bahir Dar, Ethiopia, where African leaders and security experts are exploring the links between economic independence, regional integration and continental stability.
The forum, held from October 23 to 25, 2026, brought together African heads of state, government officials and security stakeholders to discuss how the continent can strengthen its control over natural resources, digital infrastructure and institutions amid intensifying geopolitical competition.
Speaking during a high-level panel on October 24, titled “From the Margins to the Centre: Building an African Model for Peace and Sovereignty in an Age of Geopolitical Rivalry,” Kiwanuka argued that development should be measured by its impact on individual wealth creation rather than infrastructure alone.
“Development must lead to individual wealth creation, not just infrastructure,” Kiwanuka said.
He challenged African governments to prioritise patriotism, domestic industrialisation and the retention of the continent’s wealth to meet local needs instead of allowing the benefits of its resources to flow primarily to foreign markets.
Uganda’s Copper Industry Highlights Africa’s Value Addition Challenge
Kiwanuka cited Uganda’s historical copper industry as an example of the economic inefficiencies created when African countries export raw materials only to import processed products for domestic consumption.
He argued that Africa must move away from this model by investing in processing and manufacturing industries capable of transforming locally available resources into finished goods.
“We must prioritise local value addition and stop the loss of value through raw material exports,” he urged.
According to Kiwanuka, Africa’s internal markets are capable of absorbing much of the continent’s production, making regional trade and industrial cooperation essential to reducing dependence on external markets.
His remarks placed Uganda’s position within a wider continental debate on how resource-rich African countries can turn their natural wealth into jobs, stronger industries and improved living standards.
The argument also highlights a longstanding challenge facing African economies: the gap between the continent’s resource endowment and the limited domestic processing capacity that often forces countries to rely on imported manufactured goods.
Security Must Go Beyond Military Operations
The discussions at the Tana Forum emphasised that Africa’s security challenges cannot be addressed through military interventions alone, but must also be tackled through economic policies that strengthen state institutions and improve citizens’ welfare.
Participants examined how external economic dependencies, debt vulnerabilities and unequal participation in global value chains can weaken governments, undermine public confidence and create conditions for instability.
The forum called for closer coordination between economic and security policies, with African states encouraged to develop regional approaches that protect their strategic interests while expanding opportunities for their citizens.
The high-level panel was moderated by Getachew Reda, Advisor to Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed on East African Affairs.
Other participants included Burundi President Évariste Ndayishimiye, Mozambique President Daniel Francisco Chapo, Kenya’s Deputy President Professor Kithure Kindiki and former Sierra Leone President Ernest Bai Koroma.
The leaders also discussed the need for an integrated African market and digital ecosystem that can expand economic opportunities while protecting countries against technological dependence, cyber threats and cross-border illicit economies.
Ethiopia Pushes Economic and Technological Sovereignty
Opening the forum, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed called for greater African ownership of continental initiatives, including the authority, responsibility and predictable financing needed to implement them.
Abiy said global developments, including fluctuations in freight and fuel prices, directly affect African households and underscore the importance of strengthening the continent’s ability to shape international rules.
He also stressed the need for African-led mediation and respect for peace agreements as foundations for sustainable stability.
Highlighting Ethiopia’s development strategy, Abiy pointed to the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, electricity exports to neighbouring countries, investments in the gold sector and plans to retain more value from mineral resources through domestic refining.
He further cited Ethiopia’s digital infrastructure expansion and artificial intelligence ambitions as part of efforts to strengthen technological independence.
The Prime Minister also highlighted the Green Legacy Initiative, which he said had seen 56 billion trees planted, linking environmental protection to the continent’s broader security and development agenda.
Africa Seeks a Unified Approach to Peace
The 12th Tana Forum was held under the broader message that there is no single path to achieving peace and development, reflecting the African proverb that there are multiple routes to the market.
Discussions underscored the importance of African countries developing solutions suited to their circumstances while strengthening cooperation across borders.
For Uganda, Kiwanuka’s intervention highlighted the need to align national resource policies with regional industrialisation and trade strategies so that economic gains can translate into tangible benefits for citizens.
The forum’s central message was that sustainable peace requires more than managing immediate security threats. It also depends on stronger economies, accountable institutions, technological capacity and the ability of African states to finance and implement their own priorities.
As geopolitical rivalries intensify, participants are calling for greater regional integration and stronger financial and operational independence for African institutions, arguing that the continent’s long-term stability will depend partly on its ability to control its resources and shape its own development agenda.
