The Director of Political Affairs Mediation and Peacebuilding, Dr. Aleu Garang, at the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), has called upon youth inclusion in governance to prevent conflicts.
Dr. Garang made this call to the IGAD Governance Forum held at the Imperial Hotel, Kampala, on Tuesday, September 24, 2024.
The Forum gathered representatives from IGAD member states, human rights advocates, and policy experts to exchange experiences on governance strengths, challenges, and emerging issues within the region.
Dr. Garang said the youth who represent 60–70% of the IGAD population faces significant challenges, including poverty, inequality, exclusion, and unemployment, highlighting that these issues are deeply intertwined with the region’s conflict, poor governance, and the effects of climate change.
“Youth and women should be effectively engaged in governance and decision-making as well as in conflict prevention,” Dr. Garang said.
He warned that if not adequately addressed, these challenges will make the youth vulnerable to extremist recruitment, leading to instability that threatens the prosperity, peace, and security of the region.
Youth engagement is a key measure to reduce widespread civil unrest.
