On 24-25 October 2026, the Founder and Executive Director of ACCORD, Dr Vasu Gounden, served as a resource person at the 12th edition of the TANA Forum, which was held in Bahir Dar, Ethiopia, from 23-25 October 2026. The theme of this year’s Forum was “Pathways to Peace in Africa: Economic Sovereignty and Geopolitical Transformation”.
This year’s Forum explored effective strategies for examining economic sovereignty and geopolitical transformation as mutually reinforcing pathways to peace. Discussions focused on enhancing Africa’s agency within contemporary power structures, optimising the use of its resources, and ensuring that Africa and Africans define, shape, and realise sustainable peace on their own terms.
On 25 October 2026, Dr Gounden participated as a panellist in a plenary session titled “Untapped Leverage, Unnoticed Movements: Regional Integration and Illicit Economies.” The session examined the role of regional integration as a source of African strength, emphasising the need to distinguish informal cross-border trade from illicit economies. Discussions highlighted the significance of informal trade for regional integration and resilience, while advancing the realities of economic sovereignty. Participants also underscored that regional integration is not only a trade agenda, but also a peace and resilience agenda.
The Forum brought together a diverse range of African leaders and stakeholders, including heads of state and government, leaders of regional organisations, representatives of civil society and the private sector, eminent scholars and practitioners, students and youth, as well as representatives of Africa’s global partners to deliberate on these important issues.
Dr Gounden has previously contributed as a resource person at the 2025 TANA Forum.
