President Xi Jinping has outlined four principles for resolving conflicts in Africa.
China’s president calls for African-led conflict resolution, respect for sovereignty and development alongside security measures.
Chinese President Xi Jinping has proposed an Africa peace framework centred on African leadership, sovereignty, dialogue and development. Djibouti has also endorsed the four principles for resolving conflicts on the continent.
Xi outlined the approach on October 13 during talks with Faure Essozimna Gnassingbé, president of Togo’s Council of Ministers. Gnassingbé was on an official visit to China.
The proposal calls for African countries to lead efforts to resolve regional disputes. It also links immediate security measures with long-term development planning.
What the Africa peace framework proposes
The first principle places Africans at the centre of decisions affecting their continent. The second calls for fairness and justice through respect for the United Nations Charter, national sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Meanwhile, the third principle urges parties to end hostilities and pursue peace through consultation and mutual understanding. Xi argued that war and unilateral sanctions do not offer lasting solutions to disputes between states.
The fourth principle addresses both immediate threats and the underlying causes of conflict. Under this approach, countries would pursue development planning alongside efforts to meet urgent security needs.
The proposals build on positions China set out in its second Africa policy paper on December 6, 2015. That document supported African countries resolving continental problems independently, while pledging Chinese involvement that respects their wishes and avoids interference.
They also reflect themes in Xi’s Global Security Initiative, launched at the Boao Forum for Asia on April 21, 2022. Those themes include cooperative security and respect for sovereignty.
Djibouti support and Horn of Africa diplomacy
Djiboutian Foreign Minister Abdoulkader Houssein Omar endorsed the principles in a joint press communique issued in Beijing on October 22. He backed African-led solutions, fairness, an end to hostilities and action on the root causes of conflict.
China is also sending two officials to Horn of Africa countries for shuttle diplomacy. They are Liu Xianfa, its special representative on African affairs, and Hu Changchun, its special envoy for Horn of Africa affairs.
The diplomatic effort comes amid conflict in Sudan, where fighting began in April 2023. The war pits the Sudanese Armed Forces against the Rapid Support Forces and has caused widespread deaths and displacement.
Within its regional peace and development programme, China identifies security, development and governance as priorities. It also seeks to support regional connectivity and African integration while respecting the wishes of the countries concerned.
