Former APC Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Timi Frank, has called on African leaders to adopt peace models that are practical, fair, and focused on the needs of the people.
Frank made the appeal in a statement issued on Tuesday while commenting on the adoption of the Abraham Accords by the United States, which introduced a new approach to resolving a decades-long conflict in the Middle East.
He said prolonged conflicts across Africa require realistic solutions rather than waiting for perfect conditions. “Africa understands this reality very well. Our continent has lived through conflicts that lasted decades. We know that waiting for perfect conditions before talking often means waiting forever,” he stated.
According to Frank, the Abraham Accords prioritise practical cooperation, dialogue, trade, and security collaboration among former adversaries. He noted that shared interests, such as economic cooperation, can help create space for dialogue and stability, which are essential amid widespread poverty and unemployment on the continent.
“This lesson is especially important for Africa. Poverty, unemployment, and isolation continue to fuel conflict across the continent. Where people see opportunity, hope grows. Where borders open for trade and ideas, tensions often reduce,” he added.
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Frank, who also serves as the United Liberation Movement for West Papua Ambassador to East Africa and the Middle East, stressed that peace efforts must address fairness and justice. “Any peace effort that ignores legitimate grievances risks being fragile. True peace must eventually listen to everyone involved,” he said.
He clarified that Africa does not need to replicate the Abraham Accords but should draw lessons from their principles. “The lesson for Africa is not to copy the Abraham Accords, but to learn from their spirit. They remind us that long-standing conflicts are not impossible to change,” he said.
Frank concluded that African leaders should prioritise dialogue and coexistence over prolonged hostility. “Peace does not always begin with perfect solutions. Sometimes, it begins with a decision to talk, to trade and to coexist. Peace, even when imperfect, is always better than endless conflict,” he added.