Minister Kombo Urges African Researchers to Prioritize Patriotism

The Minister of Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation, Hon. Ambassador Mahmoud Thabit Kombo (MP), has called on scholars, civil society organizations, and institutions conducting research on various African issues to prioritize patriotism and the interests of Africa, so that the outcomes of such research may be beneficial to the continent.

Minister Kombo expressed these sentiments while contributing to a discussion during the opening of the first African Peace and Security Dialogue (APSD), organized by the Thabo Mbeki Foundation, which is ongoing in Johannesburg, South Africa. The discussion required clarification on how African governments use and consider research outcomes when making decisions, including in conflict resolution.

Speaking on the subject, Minister Kombo emphasized the importance of research and its contribution to governments in making effective decisions for their countries. However, he noted that many African researchers tend to prioritize the interests of their sponsors, which distorts the reality of the issues, thereby undermining the legitimacy and influence of research in guiding African governments’ decisions.

“We all know that conducting research requires resources, significant funding, and time. Therefore, many African governments lack the capacity to research many issues in a timely manner. I call upon scholars and various institutions to prioritize patriotism and Africa’s interests whenever there are opportunities to conduct research, so that the findings may contribute to governments and their people,” Minister Kombo stated.

In his contribution, which captured the attention of many at the dialogue, Minister Kombo added that there are many important issues concerning Africans that we should understand, such as the quantity and types of resources we have in our countries. However, many studies do not focus on addressing these critical issues, instead directing their efforts toward topics that serve the interests of their sponsors.

In addition to emphasizing patriotism, Minister Kombo urged researchers to focus on the quality and professionalism of their work. He explained that at times, researchers provide findings with inaccurate information, particularly data, which negatively affects the implementation of plans and strategies that rely on such research.

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The dialogue, attended by former South African President Hon. Thabo Mbeki, featured contributions from Minister Kombo and Zimbabwe’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hon. Frederick Shava. The two participated in leading the discussion under the guidance of Prof. (name not provided).

The three-day dialogue aims to discuss peace and security issues, as well as explore ways to strengthen them.