Pan-Africanist Prof. Patrick Loch Otieno Lumumba has criticised Africa's current trajectory, asserting that the dream of a borderless, integrated continent remains a fantasy while conflict and foreign interference ravage the land.

Addressing the 2026 African Prosperity Dialogues in Accra, themed “Empowering SMEs, Women and Youth in Africa’s Single Market: Innovate, Collaborate, Trade”, the legal luminary warned that political instability is rapidly outstripping economic ambition.

Professor Lumumba painted a grim portrait of a continent in crisis, specifically highlighting the devastating war in Sudan, the protracted brutality in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and the increasing diplomatic isolation of Sahelian nations, which have recently been sidelined from African Union (AU) activities following a series of military coups.

“As we have gathered, talking about a borderless Africa, let us be realistic. I am speaking to you at a time when Africa is bleeding. There is war in Sudan, there is war in the Eastern part of D.R. Congo, and the Sahelian countries are excluded from the activities of the African Union. Africa is not at ease,” Lumumba declared.

The failure of 'silencing the guns'

A central theme of Lumumba's address was the resurgence of militarism on the continent, which directly contradicts the African Union’s flagship "Silencing the Guns" initiative.

He argued that the technical success of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) is entirely dependent on a foundational layer of security that currently does not exist in several key regions.

Continental Security vs. Integration Hurdles:

• Conflict Zones: Escalating violence in the Sahel and Horn of Africa disrupting trans-border trade routes.
• Political Exclusion: The suspension of Mali, Guinea, Burkina Faso, and Niger from AU decision-making bodies.
• Policy Gap: A growing chasm between ambitious trade protocols and the reality of displaced populations.

“So even as we talk about a borderless Africa, we must talk about an Africa where there is peace, because you can have all the free borders, but if there is no peace, where will you move? I remember the African Union said there was the silencing of the guns; the guns are with us again,” he remarked.

In an assessment of Africa’s external relations, Prof. Lumumba described organisations like the Francophonie and the Commonwealth as modern instruments of foreign control. He alleged that European powers continue to regulate African affairs under the guise of international cooperation, undermining the continent’s sovereignty and its ability to innovate independently.

The Pan-Africanist urged the youth, civil society, and women entrepreneurs—often cited as the engine of the Single Market—to move beyond optimism and demand accountability and governance from their leaders.

Without security, he argued, policies aimed at empowering Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) will remain ineffective.

“So my fellow Africans, let us not be romantic about what we are saying. Let us be realistic,” Prof. Lumumba concluded, calling for a pragmatic approach to governance that prioritises peace as the primary precursor to trade.