Background: Tana High-Level Forum on Security in Africa

The Tana High-Level Forum on Security in Africa (THLF) was established by the Institute for Peace and Security Studies (IPSS) at Addis Ababa University (AAU) and prominent African figures, such as the late Prime Minister of Ethiopia, Meles Zenawi. It was created as a response to the Tripoli Declaration of August 2009, which recognised peace and security as a shared “intellectual challenge” and called for “African-led solutions” to security challenges. The Forum aims to facilitate frank discussions among concerned decision-makers, peace and security stakeholders, and their wider communities about the African continent’s security issues and challenges. Formal discussions on African peace and security are commonly held during institutional meetings, such as those of the African Union (AU) and Regional Economic Communities/Regional Mechanisms (RECs/RMs), as well as at the national level. However, the Forum aims to enhance the efforts of these official decision-making bodies and their formal mechanisms by providing additional support. Accordingly:

• The Forum aims to provide a seamless platform for decision-makers and institutions to exchange their viewpoints on peace and security. Attendees can confidently expect to gain practical and motivational insights that can be implemented in their respective countries and organisations.
• The Forum offers African leaders the opportunity to engage in meaningful discussions and gather input from diverse individuals spanning the continent and beyond.
• Our goal is to actively engage in a significant, impactful dialogue on the essential issues of peace and security that affect Africa and its regional organisations. Our approach to promoting peace and security in Africa involves engaging in inclusive dialogue and actively listening to diverse perspectives from individuals and groups. Through this, we facilitate comprehensive discussions on all aspects of peace and security, encouraging collaboration among government and other African security stakeholders. The objective is to effectively raise awareness and inspire diverse groups and individuals in Africa to confidently take charge of developing innovative solutions for enhancing peace and security in the region.

It is expected that, through the implementation of such a broad mission, the conference will result in:

• Gaining a comprehensive understanding of the global perspectives on peace and security in Africa, while also delving into the distinct approaches taken by the continent to confront the multitude of challenges and opportunities associated with these critical factors. We are particularly focused on the African context and the innovative strategies implemented to successfully address peace and security issues.
• Building a robust, diverse community committed to advancing peace and security. We accomplish this by providing inclusive platforms that foster dialogue, networking, and information sharing among policymakers, researchers, and practitioners. By enlisting leaders from various sectors to serve as advocates in building an African voice for both African and global security agendas, we ensure the initiative’s sustainability.
• Progressively engaging Africa in the continent’s strategic and proactive management of peace and security. Key to that effort will be developing foresight capacities across relevant African organisations in the public, private, and civil society sectors. Equally important will be developing strategic planning capacities and skills to operationalise national, sub-regional, and continental long-term visions.
• Serving as a crucial platform for prominent figures to convene and establish mutual trust outside of traditional diplomatic contexts. This facilitates the development and execution of strategic initiatives by African leaders, thereby improving peace and security management across the continent.

The State of Peace and Security in Africa Report

The State of Peace and Security Report on Africa (SPSA) is expected to provide a concise but compelling overview and analysis of the most salient conflict trends and approaches for intervention. Conflicts in their despicable form are often abrupt and disruptive, their causes multidimensional, interlinked, and frequently transnational. There is, therefore, a need for an equally dynamic and correspondingly complex methodology to address it. Against this background, the primary objective of the SPSA Report is to review the nature and evolution of peace and security prospects and threats on the continent and how key institutions, including the AU and RECs, are responding to these threats. The report should provide a nuanced understanding of the efforts and responses aimed at managing complex peace and security challenges across the continent. The report will situate the selected theme of the year, “Pathways to Peace in Africa: Economic Sovereignty and Geopolitical Transformation”, within the broader context of conflict trends on the continent and offer an in-depth analysis of the issues surrounding it.

Scope of the Consultancy:

In line with the above, IPSS seeks to hire a consultant or a consortium (team of two) to perform the following tasks:

1. Highlight the evolving trends in conflicts, particularly across national, continental, and global configurations.
2. Outline the major drivers of insecurity and violence in African countries, and their consequences.
3. Examine the cross-cutting trends in various extant security and structural predicaments in 2025 across the entire continent of Africa.
4. Discuss peace initiatives and actors that have emerged and continued over the last year and prospects by analysing the responses by African continental and regional institutions and non-governmental actors to these security prospects and threats – for example, unilateral, bilateral and multilateral peace initiatives; as well as the roles of relevant non-state and non-institutional actors.
5. Provide an overview of the AU/United Nations’ (UN) security cooperation on addressing and mitigating the continent’s peace and security agenda, while also addressing the questions concerning AU-RECs’ cooperation with respect to the issues and trends of African Peace and Security Architecture (APSA), African Governance Architecture (AGA), and their intersections.
6. Interrogate challenges to African-led peace and security ownership in general, and financing and reforming the AU, and provide reflections on the merger of the Political Affairs Department and the Peace and Security Council of the AU (now PAPS). Particular attention should be paid to examining the synergies and complementarities between the African Governance Architecture (AGA) and the African Peace and Security Architecture (APSA) in addressing and managing security challenges on the continent.
7. Provide recommendations on the way forward.

Specific Requirements and Reporting:

• Ensure that advisory services rendered comply with IPSS consultancy guidelines.
• Regarding reporting requirements, the consultant, or, in the case of a consortium, the lead consultant, will report verbally and via email in English to IPSS on a needs/activity basis, detailing progress toward the consultancy’s objectives, services provided, and resources used.
• In addition to the SPSA Report, the consultant/consortium should provide a four-page executive summary suitable for consideration by the Tana Technical Committee and the Board.
• The report will be written in close coordination with the Head of the Tana Forum Secretariat.

Qualifications:

To achieve the specified objectives, IPSS expects the selected pool of consultants to have the following qualifications and expertise:

• PhD degree or equivalent in a relevant discipline, e.g., International Relations, Development, Economics, Public Policy, Peace and Conflict Studies or Social Sciences.
• Ability to support analytical policy research and proven exposure to academic and policy research environments.
• Proven interest in peace and security in Africa.
• More than ten (10) years of experience in researching African peace and security issues.
• Possesses research skills and professional data collection and analysis.
• Experience in writing Academic and Policy papers/reports.
• Excellent command of English is required. In addition, good working knowledge of French is desirable.

Duration of Contract:

A duration of two months from the day of contracting. For the services offered, the consultant/consortium shall be paid a lump sum amount.

Submission of the Report:

A soft copy of the report (in Word .doc or .docx) shall be submitted to the Head of the Tana Forum Secretariat. The Head of the Secretariat is responsible for approving the report.

Place of Assignment:

Home-based with no travel obligations.

Deadline for application:

24 June 2026

To submit your application, please send your CV and a 1-page synopsis on the theme “Pathways to Peace in Africa: Economic Sovereignty and Geopolitical Transformation” as ONE PDF document to research@ipss-addis.org. The Email title/subject should kindly follow this [SPSA Report_ Surname]