Africa loses $18bn annually due to conflicts, says Kenyan President
On Monday, Kenyan President William Ruto highlighted that ongoing conflicts are significantly hindering Africa’s potential, costing the continent nearly $18 billion each year and displacing millions of people.
President Ruto reported that Africa is currently home to 35 million internally displaced individuals, 8.9 million refugees, 1.1 million asylum seekers, and 1 million stateless persons.
“Between April and June 2024 alone, there were 1,000 recorded terrorist incidents in Africa, resulting in 4,818 fatalities,” he stated during the High-Level Retreat on Institutional Reforms of the African Union, which took place in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya.
The event was attended by the presidents of Guinea-Bissau, Ethiopia, Ghana, and Comoros, as well as Moussa Faki Mahamat, chairperson of the African Union Commission, to accelerate reforms within the continental organization, which comprises 55 member states.
