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Delegates pictured outside the Nelson Mandela Plenary Hall at the African Union Commission.

The African Union declared 2023 as the year of accelerating the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AFCFTA) to bring greater prosperity to the continent. Realising a prosperous Africa requires inputs, including a peaceful environment where the socio-economic sectors can thrive. However, the complex, volatile and turbulent state of affairs, particularly in cases such as Mozambique, Mali, Ethiopia, Somalia, and Sudan, make peace and security a matter of urgency and strategic importance.

The Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung’s Regional Programme – Political Dialogue for Sub-Saharan Africa (PolDiSSA) partnered with the Young Democrat Union of Africa (YDUA) for their annual conference, themed, “The Role of African Youths Engaging Peace Efforts on the Continent – Towards the Africa We Want and the Agenda 2063.” YDUA is an alliance of youth wings of the centre-right political parties in Africa; it brings together diverse members, unified by a collective commitment to freedom, justice, and solidarity. The parent organisation, DUA, is the African chapter of the International Democrat Union (IDU) which has membership from political parties across all continents.

The two-day YDUA Annual Conference was held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, from 29 to 30 May 2023, and incorporated capacity-building workshops, trainings, and peer-to-peer engagements. The opening ceremony featured remarks by the Director of PolDiSSA, Dr. Holger Dix, who underscored the importance of partnership between the two institutions – KAS and YDUA in promoting inclusive and good governance in Africa. Dr. Dix linked this activity to the objectives of the regional programme, that is, promoting dialogue with and within Africa, which includes discussing the youth’s role in politics. Honourable Dickson Muchungo from the Kenya Young Members of County Assemblies (KYMCA) also shared the importance of youth representation in decision-making institutions such as parliaments.

Dr. Joel Amegboh, an Assistant Professor for African Security Studies at a U.S. Department of Defense institution – the Africa Center for Strategic Studies (ACSS), delivered the keynote speech. His address focussed on the nexus between governance, security, and development, highlighting the need to prioritise developing National Security Strategies (NSS) in different countries. The United Nations (2012) substantiates that NSS provide national guidance for forming effective and accountable security institutions and increases trust in state institutions through multi-stakeholder participation. Countries such as Germany have an NSS, while member states including Ethiopia, Tunisia, Senegal, Niger, Zambia, and Tanzania have begun NSS development and implementation.

The 2023 YDUA Annual Conference included an educational visit to the African Union (AU) Commission, facilitated by Ms. Afrah Mohamed Thabit from the AU’s Directorate of Information and Communication. The tour was around the Nelson Mandela Conference Hall, which is famous for hosting the annual summit of all African heads of state. The participants also visited the Mwalimu Julius Nyerere building, where the AU's Peace and Security Council (PSC) deliberates its responses to emerging and actual security threats.

Day 2 of the conference mainly focussed on party organisation and the administration of the YDUA. Representatives of various parties such as the African Christian Democratic Party (ACDP) of South Africa; Kenya African National Union (KANU); CHADEMA of Tanzania; the Democratic Party of Uganda; Mozambique’s RENAMO and the Mozambique Democratic Movement, as well as the Malawi Congress Party, shared their youth league reports. Members of the electoral committee reviewed election modalities and procedures in preparation for voting. The conference ended with the election of a new YDUA board.

Overall, the meeting provided opportunities for the YDUA members to dialogue and exchange ideas and strategies to enhance youth participation in African politics. The youth league reports encouraged best practices on financing, campaigning, mobilising, and the use of social media. Further, this year's theme on peacebuilding was timely, as security, development and governance are intrinsically interconnected. Africa's youth bulge and the increasing security threats make it essential to explore the role of youth as peacebuilders. The knowledge and strategies shared hold the potential to influence changing practices and enable competence.