Former President Uhuru Kenyatta has cautioned that a growing “trust deficit” is the most serious threat to peacebuilding efforts across Africa, warning that even well-negotiated agreements often collapse due to a lack of confidence between governments, citizens, and communities.
Speaking at the Johannesburg Arbitration Week 2026, Kenyatta said that while mediators can help conflicting parties reach agreements, sustaining those deals remains a major challenge when trust has been eroded.
His remarks came during the “Statesmen in Dialogue: Leadership and Dispute Resolution in Africa” panel, which brought together former African leaders to reflect on governance and conflict resolution.
Drawing on his mediation roles in South Sudan, Ethiopia, and the Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenyatta stressed that durable peace depends on inclusive governance systems and fair distribution of resources. He argued that exclusion and inequality often fuel tensions that later escalate into conflict.
Kenyatta also warned that internal divisions within continental institutions have weakened Africa’s collective voice, contrasting the current state with the stronger unity seen during the early days of Pan-Africanism.
“Unity is not just an ideal, it is a necessity,” he said, urging renewed commitment to cooperation among African states.
The three-day forum, organized by the Arbitration Foundation of Southern Africa, explored the theme “Arbitration in a Fragmented Global Order: The Future of Trade, Investment, and Sustainable Development,” bringing together policymakers, arbitrators, academics, and business leaders.
Other prominent participants included former Presidents Joaquim Chissano, Goodluck Jonathan, and Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, who shared their perspectives on leadership and conflict mediation across the continent.
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