Publication:

Report on the Activities of the Peace and Security Council of the African Union for the First Quarter of the Year 2025.

During the first quarter of 2025, the African Union Peace and Security Council (AUPSC) convened 17 sessions chaired by Côte d’Ivoire, Equatorial Guinea, and Morocco. The Council addressed multiple crises across Africa, particularly focusing on Eastern DRC, Sudan, and South Sudan. Emergency and high-level meetings tackled the resurgence of armed violence, demanding ceasefires and support for peace initiatives like the Luanda and Nairobi Processes. The PSC reaffirmed AU commitment to sovereignty, territorial integrity, and humanitarian access, while emphasizing inclusive political dialogue. South Sudan’s peace process was commended, despite recent instability, with support pledged for elections and security sector reforms. Informal consultations with countries under transition—Burkina Faso, Gabon, Guinea, Mali, Niger, and Sudan—sought pathways to constitutional order, while conflict mediation continued through engagement with regional blocs and specialized AU mechanisms. Beyond country-specific crises, the PSC addressed thematic and structural challenges to peace and security. It renewed the MNJTF mandate against Boko Haram, supported operationalizing the African Standby Force, and commemorated the Africa Day of Peace and Reconciliation. Critical issues like child soldiering, climate-security links, deradicalization, and AI’s implications for peace were tackled, with concrete tasks assigned to the AU Commission—including the establishment of AI early warning systems and support for youth and women in peace processes. The Panel of the Wise, FemWise-Africa, and WiseYouth were recognized for their preventive diplomacy contributions. A continental induction for new PSC members and a Committee of Experts workshop in Arusha focused on enhancing implementation of PSC decisions. Overall, the AUPSC reaffirmed its active engagement in addressing root causes of conflict, improving governance, and reinforcing African-led solutions to peace and security challenges.