By Esther Oseyiomon
A renewed push to achieve the African Union’s “Silencing the Guns” agenda has gained momentum, as the Pan-African AU Agenda 2063 Diplomatic Mission advances digital peacebuilding initiatives aimed at tackling insecurity across the continent.
At a high-level engagement held on Tuesday in Addis Ababa Ethiopia, the Mission underscored the urgent need to deploy technology-driven solutions to confront evolving security threats and strengthen early warning systems in Africa.
The initiative was reinforced during a courtesy visit to the Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security at the African Union Commission, Bankole Adeoye, where discussions focused on aligning innovation with continental peace strategies.
Leading the delegation, Stephen Gbatigbi Ben-Joel, highlighted the growing importance of digital tools in preventing conflict and sustaining peace, noting that traditional security responses must now be complemented by real-time intelligence and community-based engagement.
Central to the Mission’s strategy is the Community Peace Monitor (CPM), a flagship ICT platform designed to enhance grassroots intelligence gathering and provide timely data for rapid response to emerging threats. The system enables communities to actively participate in peacebuilding efforts while supporting governments and regional bodies with actionable insights.
The Mission stressed that integrating such digital innovations into Africa’s peace architecture is critical to achieving the broader aspirations of Agenda 2063, particularly the vision of a secure and conflict-free continent.
Responding, Adeoye commended the initiative, describing technology-driven peacebuilding as a necessary evolution in modern conflict prevention. He noted that data-informed strategies remain vital to ongoing efforts to silence the guns and stabilise fragile regions.
He also expressed the Commission’s willingness to collaborate with the Mission to scale the CPM platform and embed it within continental and regional security frameworks.
The visit further highlighted plans by the Mission to embark on an intra-African tour aimed at deepening stakeholder engagement and promoting the adoption of digital innovation in governance, peacebuilding, and sustainable development.
In recognition of his contributions to advancing peace and security, Adeoye was presented with an Award of Excellence by the delegation.
The engagement signals a growing partnership between the Mission and the African Union, with both sides emphasizing that the path to silencing the guns in Africa will increasingly depend on the strategic use of technology, collaboration, and community-driven solutions.