ADDIS ABABA, July 29 — African leaders have raised alarm over the resumption of the Middle East conflict, which they said is driving a severe economic and security crisis in Africa through energy shocks, supply disruptions, and soaring prices.
The remark was made during the 49th Ordinary Session of the Executive Council of the African Union (AU) on Tuesday in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia.
Speaking at the event, Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, chairperson of the AU Commission, said Africa is bearing the brunt of the crisis in the Middle East, with multiple countries on the continent facing a high cost of living driven by soaring energy prices.
Claver Gatete, executive secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), addresses the 49th Ordinary Session of the Executive Council of the African Union (AU) in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia, July 28, 2026.
“The resumption of the conflict between Iran and the United States is causing runaway inflation. The supply chain is disrupted due to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. The Bab el-Mandeb Strait is also threatened. Energy, grain and fertilizer prices are soaring,” Youssouf told the session.
He said the fallout is likely to last for months based on assessments made by the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) and the United Nations Development Program.
Claver Gatete, executive secretary of UNECA, said the global environment has become increasingly uncertain amid spikes in energy, food, and fertilizer prices due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
“Trade tensions, geopolitical fragmentation, conflicts including the conflict in the Middle East, climate shocks, declining development finance and high debt-servicing costs continue to impact investment and development prospects in Africa,” Gatete said.
Given the present realities, Africa cannot rely indefinitely on external financing to transform its economy, he said, adding that the continent must finance more of its development from domestic resources.
Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, chairperson of the African Union (AU) Commission, addresses the 49th Ordinary Session of the Executive Council of the AU in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia, July 28, 2026.
Foreign Minister of Ethiopia Gedion Timothewos said the foundations of the global order are undergoing profound transformation, while Africa is bearing the brunt of geopolitical tensions, including the conflict in the Middle East, technological disruption, climate pressures and growing competition over strategic resources.
“We need to seize the moment to actively shape the contours of the new reality. We must become a strategic actor capable of providing African solutions to global challenges,” said Timothewos, adding that despite the challenges, Africa is destined to be the engine of global growth in the second half of the 21st century.
Held under the AU’s 2026 theme, “Assuring Sustainable Water Availability and Safe Sanitation Systems to Achieve the Goals of Agenda 2063,” the two-day session, which brought African foreign ministers together, is expected to come up with new strategies to address Africa’s pressing challenges, including ensuring universal access to safe hygiene, water and sanitation across Africa. (Namibia Daily News / Xinhua)
