If there is any book i wish to read again and again it is on leadership. I will read more on leadership qualities. I will also concentrate on leadership qualities needed to end armed conflicts.

Eastern Africa region is now in total armed conflicts. All the way from DRC, South Sudan, Sudan, Ethiopia and it’s neighbors. To end these conflicts it calls for selfless leadership. These are the qualities that leaders must have to truly end this conflicts:

1. Integrity

• Leaders must be honest, transparent, and fair.
• Ethnic groups will only trust a leader who doesn’t take sides secretly or misuse power.

1. Empathy

• The ability to deeply understand the pain, fears, and hopes of all ethnic groups.
• A good leader must feel the suffering of every community — not just their own.

1. Courage

• Ending conflict sometimes means making hard, unpopular decisions (e.g., sharing power, apologizing, or punishing your own group).
• Courage is needed to put the nation above personal or tribal loyalty.

1. Visionary Thinking

• Leaders must look beyond today’s fights and imagine a peaceful, prosperous future for all citizens.
• They should inspire people to believe in a bigger, shared dream.

1. Communication Skills

• Good leaders communicate clearly and consistently.
• They must counter hate speech, build hope through words, and unite people through strong messages.

1. Patience and Persistence

• Healing after ethnic conflict takes years, even decades.
• A real peacemaker knows the journey is long and doesn’t give up when things get tough.

1. Humility

• Sometimes leaders must admit mistakes, forgive enemies, and listen more than they speak.
• Pride can reignite wars; humility can open doors for reconciliation.

1. Inclusiveness

• A peace-driven leader always invites everyone to the table — no group should feel ignored or disrespected.
• Ethnic groups must see themselves reflected in leadership, government, and the national conversation.

1. Fairness in Resource Sharing

• A leader must ensure that resources like land, jobs, and services are shared equitably — otherwise new resentments will grow.
• Economic justice is as important as political peace.

1. Respect for Rule of Law and Human Rights

• No group should feel targeted by security forces or the legal system because of their ethnicity.
• Justice must be independent, equal, and fair for all citizens.

Conclusion

A leader who wants to end ethnic wars must be more than a fighter or a politician. They must be a healer, a bridge-builder, a visionary, and a servant of the people.

As Albert Einstein
would put it
“Peace is not merely the absence of war. It is the presence of justice, law, order — in short, of government.”

That, real peace comes when people feel protected, respected, and included — not just when guns go silent.