One of the most refreshing stories out of Africa in 2025 was the signing of a peace agreement between the governments of the Democratic Republic of
Congo (DRC) and Rwanda aimed at ending the long-running conflict in eastern DRC.
The US-brokered peace deal, known as the ‘Washington Accords’ in diplomatic circles, was signed by presidents Felix Tshisekedi of DRC and Paul Kagame of Rwanda during a summit hosted by US president Donald Trump in Washington on December 4.
We hope that all parties to the conflict honour the terms of the pact to ensure the return of peace in the region in 2026.
In our April-June 2025 edition, we called the continent’s attention to the threats to food systems and food security posed by violence and political stability.
Conflict in Africa causes food insecurity because it disrupts agricultural production, displaces farmers from their land, destroys infrastructure like irrigation systems, hinders access to markets, drives up food prices, and diverts resources away from development towards military efforts, ultimately leaving people unable to access sufficient food supplies.
Organisations like the World Food Programme (WFP) have warned
that the plague of conflict is exposing millions of people to the danger of starvation.
All the 13 African countries identified as hunger hotspots in 2024 by the WFP, for example, were involved in armed conflicts or experienced political violence.
Of the four countries listed as of highest concern in terms of famine, three were African: Mali, South Sudan and Sudan.
On the eastern end of the Sahel, conflict continued in the Horn of Africa, driving hunger in Ethiopia in particular.
As part of our commitment to facilitating the conversation on conflicts and food security in Africa, this New Year edition of PanAfrican Agriculture carries a special report on the meat value chain, which has perhaps borne the biggest brunt of insecurity in different parts of the continent.
From Cameroon, for example, we bring you the story of how incursions by the Islamist group Boko Haram in the northern region have led to a decline in the country’s beef production. Read this, plus the innovations, shifting consumer preferences and markets reshaping the continent’s meat value chain.
Happy New Year!
Wishing you a prosperous 2026
