Agnes Maina, MRPC’s Geopolitics Research Fellow, participated in the African Union’s 4th Continental Dialogue on Youth, Peace, and Security (YPS), held from 11th–13th December 2025at the Kiriri Presidential Palace in Bujumbura, Burundi. The dialogue, which marked a pivotal moment in continental governance, was convened under the leadership of H.E. Évariste Ndayishimiye, President of Burundi and AU Champion on Youth, Peace, and Security.

The forum addressed the complex nexus between youth unemployment and continental instability, underscoring economic exclusion as a key driver of social unrest and conflict. With over one-third of Africa’s youth unemployed, discussions moved “Beyond the Rhetoric” to explore practical synergies between the YPS agenda and major economic frameworks, notably the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) under Agrifood Systems, and Africa’s Mineral Value Chains within the AU Commodity Strategy.