BUJUMBURA, Burundi — Sustainable development across Africa will remain out of reach unless the continent first secures lasting peace, Burundi’s Minister of Education warned this week, arguing that true peace requires far more than the absence of war.
“Peace is not limited to the silence of arms,” Minister François Havyarimana said, saying it also rests on “justice, transparency, sharing, and restored dignity for every citizen.”
Havyarimana made the remarks during a regional forum dedicated to strengthening the culture of peace in Central Africa and the Great Lakes region, held in Burundi from September 8 to 10. The gathering brought together officials from across the region to discuss ways to prevent conflict and build lasting stability.
The minister pointed to education as the starting point for that effort, saying children must be taught to resolve their differences “through dialogue, and not through violence.”
His comments underscored a broader message at the forum: that peace is not merely a political goal but a precondition for economic and social progress.
Marcellino Nkoho Mbula, head of the Liaison Office of the Economic Community of Central African States in Burundi, told Media that discussions on a culture of peace matter because they make it possible to “provide concrete solutions to our problems.”
The forum comes as the Great Lakes region continues to grapple with longstanding conflicts and instability, and as leaders face mounting pressure to turn pledges of peace into tangible results for citizens. Organizers said the three-day meeting aimed to strengthen cooperation among Central African nations and promote a shared commitment to nonviolence, dialogue, and reconciliation.
For Havyarimana, the stakes are clear: without sustainable peace, development in Africa is impossible.
VIdeo:Sputnik Africa
