Koroma Challenges African Leaders on Natural Wealth
Former Sierra Leone President Ernest Bai Koroma has called on African leaders to demonstrate stronger political will, address governance failures and manage natural resources effectively to achieve lasting peace and economic prosperity.
Koroma made the call on 24 October 2026 at the 12th Tana High-Level Forum on Security in Africa in Bahir Dar, Ethiopia, during a panel discussion titled “From the Margins to the Centre: Building an African Model for Peace and Sovereignty in an Age of Geopolitical Rivalry.”
He argued that Africa’s vast natural resource wealth had failed to translate into corresponding prosperity because of weak leadership, poor resource management and limited institutional capacity. He stressed that genuine sovereignty requires countries to finance their own priorities, protect their resources and ensure citizens benefit from them.
“We cannot be sovereign when we cannot fund ourselves. We cannot be sovereign when we cannot protect our minerals,” Koroma said, urging governments to strengthen democratic institutions, ensure free and fair elections, and tackle corruption.
On security, he called for greater cooperation among African countries and a stronger African Union role in resolving conflicts and promoting democratic governance. He also highlighted how conflicts in Somalia, Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo disrupt education, restrict employment opportunities and undermine young people’s contributions to national development.
Koroma’s views echoed concerns raised by Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama, Chairman of the Tana Forum Board, who advocated industrialisation, food and energy sovereignty, and reduced economic dependency. Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed also stressed economic sovereignty, regional cooperation and accountable institutions as essential to sustainable peace.
Participants further emphasised the need for African countries to retain more value from their natural resources through local processing and stronger regional markets, rather than relying mainly on exporting raw commodities.
Koroma cautioned against allowing continental meetings to end without measurable results, calling for effective institutions to monitor governance, assess resource management and ensure commitments deliver tangible benefits to citizens.
Held from 23 to 25 October 2026 under the theme “Pathways to Peace in Africa: Economic Sovereignty and Geopolitical Transformation,” the forum brought together African leaders and other stakeholders to discuss strategies for strengthening peace, security and economic independence.
Koroma maintained that Africa’s natural resource wealth alone cannot guarantee prosperity or stability without accountable leadership, strong institutions, regional cooperation and the political will to put the continent’s resources to work for its people.
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