Mbabane, Kingdom of Eswatini | August 28–31, 2026
Queen Ameenata Koita, Sarauniya of Fulbe and Founder of the Sarauniya International Development Organization (SIDO), has been formally invited to attend the Inaugural All Africa Conference of Traditional Leaders, taking place in Mbabane, Kingdom of Eswatini, from August 28–31, 2026.
The historic gathering will be held back-to-back with the internationally renowned Umhlanga Reed Dance Festival, bringing together traditional leaders and distinguished representatives from across the African continent for an important dialogue on the future of Africa and the enduring role of traditional institutions.
A Historic Continental Gathering
The inaugural conference builds upon the Forum of African Traditional Leaders, convened in the Kingdom of Eswatini in September 2025. The outcomes of that landmark forum called for the consolidation of the emerging continental network of traditional leaders and identified His Majesty King Mswati III of Eswatini as a proposed Champion of Traditional Leaders on the African continent.
The 2026 conference represents an important next step in transforming that vision into a stronger and more coordinated continental platform.
For Queen Ameenata, the invitation represents an important opportunity to contribute to conversations concerning Africa, its people, its cultural institutions, and the global African Diaspora.
Traditional Leadership and the Future of Africa
The conference will provide a high-level continental platform for traditional leaders to reflect collectively on the contemporary and future role of traditional institutions in advancing African unity, peace, human and peoples’ rights, cultural preservation, Indigenous knowledge, reparatory justice, sustainable development, and the African Renaissance.
Across Africa, traditional institutions continue to hold significant cultural, historical, and community-based knowledge. Traditional leaders can play an important role in bridging generations, preserving cultural heritage, strengthening social cohesion, supporting peacebuilding, and ensuring that Indigenous perspectives remain part of Africa’s development conversations.
The conference therefore comes at a significant moment for the continent as African nations and communities continue to explore new approaches to unity, development, cultural sovereignty, peace, and the preservation of Africa’s rich heritage.
Queen Ameenata’s Role in the African Diaspora
Queen Ameenata Koita’s participation adds an important African Diaspora perspective to this continental gathering. Through her humanitarian work, international advocacy, cultural diplomacy, and engagement with African and Diaspora communities, she has continued to promote stronger connections between Africa and people of African descent around the world.
As Sarauniya of Fulbe and Founder of SIDO, Queen Ameenata has worked to strengthen relationships across communities and promote initiatives centered on humanitarian development, cultural identity, women’s and children’s empowerment, and connections between Africa and the global African Diaspora.
Her participation in Eswatini provides an opportunity to share perspectives on how traditional institutions can help build stronger relationships between the African continent and its Diaspora while preserving the histories, traditions, languages, values, and Indigenous knowledge that connect African peoples across borders.
A Moment for African Unity and Cultural Renaissance
The timing of the conference alongside the Umhlanga Reed Dance Festival is particularly meaningful. The festival is one of Eswatini’s most important cultural celebrations and provides an extraordinary setting for African traditional leaders to come together in an atmosphere centered on culture, heritage, identity, and community.
The gathering is more than a meeting of traditional authorities. It represents an opportunity to envision how traditional institutions can contribute to Africa’s future while remaining rooted in the wisdom and experiences of generations past.
Queen Ameenata’s attendance reflects her continued commitment to strengthening Africa’s global voice and building meaningful relationships among African leaders, traditional institutions, communities, and the African Diaspora.
As Africa looks toward a new era of cooperation and renewal, the Inaugural All Africa Conference of Traditional Leaders has the potential to become an important milestone in advancing a shared vision of a peaceful, united, culturally confident, and globally engaged Africa.Queen Ameenata Koita looks forward to joining traditional leaders from across Africa in the Kingdom of Eswatini for this historic gathering and contributing to the continued advancement of African unity, cultural preservation, peace, development, and the African Renaissance
