'Any threat to human life is a threat to peace'

Tadesse cautioned African governments against using the old way of seeing security as a matter for the army, the police and the prisons service, arguing that it is in the interests of the state to include parliament, non-governmental organisations, the media and other organs.

"The old paradigm which saw security as only state security largely became obsolete with the end of the Cold War," he said. "While security was initially seen as the specific interest of the state (to) defend its people against foreign (invasion), it is now known that governments have shown the ability to be a threat against their own people. This has led to a shift in the way issues of peace and security are to be addressed and studied."