UN Chief Blames Foreign Interference for Fueling Africa’s Conflicts, Warns Peace Efforts Are Being Undermined

By Brian Kiprono - Reporter

Ethiopia, 13 May 2026 - United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has accused foreign powers of worsening conflicts across Africa, warning that outside interference continues to frustrate peace efforts and destabilise the continent.

Speaking during what he described as “most likely the last summit” he will attend as UN chief, Guterres delivered an emotional defence of Africa while sharply criticising global powers for their role in some of the continent’s biggest security crises.

The UN boss said Africa was paying the price for decisions made beyond its borders, particularly in conflict zones such as Libya, the Sahel and Sudan.

“Even in the most dramatic area of peace and security in Africa, external action outside the African continent played a central role in the origins of the crisis,” Guterres said.

He pointed to the 2011 Libya intervention as a turning point that destabilised large parts of Africa.

According to Guterres, African leaders had already initiated mediation efforts in Tripoli before international military action disrupted the process.

“There was an African Union delegation under South African leadership in Tripoli trying to resolve the Gaddafi crisis,” he recalled.

“Even as that mission was making progress, everything was overturned by the Security Council’s decision and the military intervention in Libya.”

He said the collapse of Libya created space for terrorism to spread across the Sahel region.

“Libya became the epicentre from which terrorism crises spread across the Sahel and other parts of Africa,” he added.

Guterres also raised concern over the ongoing war in Sudan, saying foreign-backed weapons and drones were making peace negotiations more difficult and costing civilian lives.

“We see drones killing civilians and destroying civilian infrastructure, and this makes negotiating peace agreements extremely difficult,” he said.

Without naming specific countries, the UN chief claimed that much of the violence in Sudan was being financed externally.

“The weapons entering Sudan, sometimes through African countries, it must be said, but financed mainly by non-African countries whose interests I sometimes struggle to understand, speaking frankly, have tragic consequences,” he stated.

The Secretary-General warned that competing international interests were weakening African-led mediation efforts.

Community Leaders Convene Cross-Border Peace Meeting Following Clashes in Elwak

Somali President Meets Italian Investors in Mogadishu

“There is such a contradiction among external actors that it complicates the mediation efforts led by the African Union,” he said.

Despite the criticism, Guterres praised African leaders for taking greater responsibility in solving conflicts and strengthening governance systems across the continent.

He said the United Nations would continue supporting African-led peace initiatives with “humility” rather than imposing solutions.

“We do not seek protagonism; we want to be committed partners supporting your initiatives,” he said.

Beyond conflict, Guterres also linked insecurity in Africa to historical injustices, colonialism and an international financial system he described as unfair to developing nations.

He argued that Africa continues to face exploitation through resource extraction models that leave little value on the continent.

“There is always the risk of repeating the same exploitative mechanisms of the past, where resources are extracted without added value remaining in Africa,” he warned.

The UN chief further called for reforms in global institutions, including the United Nations Security Council, noting that Africa still lacks permanent representation.

He insisted that Africa’s future was critical to global stability, particularly because of its rapidly growing young population.

“Africa’s youth represent the single most important demographic factor in the world’s future,” Guterres said.

He ended his address by promising continued support for the continent.

“Count on us. We will not remain silent. We will continue to denounce injustices, difficulties, and obstacles, while fully supporting your initiatives,” he said.