Provisional Programme of Work of the Peace and Security Council for April 2025
Provisional Programme of Work of the Peace and Security Council for April 2025
Date | April 2025
In April, the Republic of Uganda will serve as the stand-in Chairperson of the African Union (AU) Peace and Security Council (PSC). The Provisional Programme of Work (PPoW) for the month includes six substantive sessions, all scheduled at the ambassadorial level. Among the six sessions, only one is country-specific, focusing on developments in Somalia and the African Union Support and Stabilisation Mission (AUSSOM). The remaining five sessions will address thematic issues. In addition to the sessions, the PSC will travel to Johannesburg, South Africa, for the 4th Annual Joint Retreat with the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM).
The first session of the month, scheduled for 1 April,[1] is dedicated to the ‘International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action’ commemorated annually on 4 April, in accordance with the United Nations (UN) General Assembly Resolution [A/RES/60/97], adopted on 08 December 2005. This year’s theme is Safe Futures Start Here. On its part, the PSC has held sessions on this subject since 2019, with the last one held at its 1146th session. During this year’s session, the PSC is expected to follow up on its 1146th, which highlighted the enduring threats posed by landmines, explosive remnants of war (ERW), and improvised explosive devices (IEDs). The PSC also reiterated its call for the establishment of a continental coordination mechanism to strengthen and harmonise mine action efforts across Member States. This session is being held on the last year of the deadline set by the 1997 Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention (Ottawa Convention) and the 2014 Declaration of State Parties to the Convention on the Prohibition of Anti-Personnel Mines (Maputo Declaration) for a mine-free world.
On 2 April, the PSC will convene an open session under the theme ‘Hate Crimes and the Fight Against Genocidal Ideology in Africa’. The session being held as part of the 31st Anniversary Commemoration of the Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda follows the decision of the PSC’s 678th meeting on 11 April 2017, which established the month of April for addressing the prevention of genocidal ideologies and the fight against hate crimes on the African continent. The annual commemoration of the genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda is expected to be held at the AU Commission on 7 April under the theme “Remember–Unite–Renew”. This would be the first time that the PSC will be holding this session since the appointment by the AU Commission of a Special Envoy on the Prevention of Genocide and other Atrocities. Against the widespread atrocities and escalating violence in several conflict-affected regions, such as eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Sudan, it remains to be seen whether this year’s commemoration would concern itself with the question of how the subject of the session is being addressed in specific conflict situations going beyond the general discussion of previous years. This is where the role of the Special Envoy and his intervention on how to take this subject forward would become critical. It is also of interest for this session to reflect on how the theme of the session is being addressed systematically in the AU’s normative frameworks and its peace and security architecture, including early warning systems, preventive diplomacy, and the protection of civilians in armed conflicts.
In the second week of April, the PSC will travel to Johannesburg, South Africa, for the 4th Annual Joint Retreat with the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM), scheduled to take place from 7 – 9 April 2025. During its 1191st session, which reviewed the outcomes of the 3rd retreat, the PSC decided that the 4th retreat would assess collaboration between the PSC and APRM in early warning and conflict prevention, as well as the synergy between the African Peace and Security Architecture (APSA) and the African Governance Architecture (AGA). It is accordingly anticipated that this year’s retreat would focus, among others, on these issues. In addition to adopting the conclusions, in its communique adopted at its 1191st session, the PSC requested the AU Commission and the APRM Continental Secretariat to develop a matrix tracking the implementation of past conclusions for review and adoption.
Following the retreat, on 10 April, the PSC is scheduled to consider and adopt a draft of the Monthly Provisional Programme of Work for May.
On 15 April, the PSC will consider (through silence procedure) the conclusions of the 4th Annual Joint Consultative Meeting with the APRM.
The next session, set for 17 April, will be a briefing on the situation in Somalia, with a particular focus on the AUSSOM. This meeting marks the Council’s first dedicated engagement on Somalia and AUSSOM since the official transition of the AU mission from the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) to AUSSOM on 1 January 2025. The last session on Somalia was held during the Council’s 1253rd meeting on 19 December 2024. During the session, the PSC reiterated its request for the AU Commission to engage extensively with the UN, EU, and other strategic partners to secure predictable and sustainable funding for AUSSOM. To address the 25% funding gap identified in UN Resolution 2719, the Commission was urged by the Council to develop a resource mobilisation roadmap in collaboration with the UN, including the possibility of a pledging conference. Additionally, the PSC requested the Commission to present the AUSSOM budget for consideration, ensuring it follows due process through the AU financial committees. The Council also supported the utilization accrued interest from the AU Peace Fund and the Crisis Reserve Facility (CRF) to help finance AUSSOM, which is in line with previous PSC decisions. Additionally, the PSC requested the AU Commission to finalize consultations with the Federal Government of Somalia (FGS) on the mission’s composition. In implementing the request made by the PSC, the AUC, the Federal Government of Somalia (FGS), and representatives from AUSSOM Troop and Police Contributing Countries recently held a four-day technical working session to finalise the capabilities, force composition, and deployment plans of the AUSSOM. A key outcome of the workshop was the finalisation of the Statement of Unit Requirements (SUR), detailing the necessary troop and police capabilities for AUSSOM’s mission. Coming against the background of the recent resurgence of Al Shabaab leading to losses by the FGS, in addition to the update the PSC will receive on these issues on the operationalisation of AUSSOM, this session is also expected to review recent trends in the security situation and the fight against Al Shabaab in Somalia.
On 23 April, the fourth session of the PSC will focus on ‘The Imperative of a Combined Maritime Task Force in Addressing Piracy in the Gulf of Guinea (GoG).’ Over the past decade, on the security aspect, the GoG region has made significant strides in regional cooperation and Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA), leveraging digital technologies to address security threats. According to the 2024 IBM Piracy Report, indicates that piracy incidents in the region have dropped from 84 in 2020 to just 18 in 2024, demonstrating the effectiveness of these collaborative efforts. Yet, many of the technological solutions that support maritime security efforts in the region are developed, controlled, and financed by external actors, making Africa vulnerable to geopolitical uncertainties. Additionally, the region still lacks sufficient physical infrastructure to verify digital maritime intelligence. Against this backdrop, the establishment of a Combined Maritime Task Force (CMTF) has emerged as a strategic approach to strengthening Africa’s maritime security. During the 38th Ordinary Session of the AU Assembly, President Bola Tinubu called on the PSC to establish the CMTF to bolster security in the GoG and expressed Nigeria’s readiness to host its headquarters in Lagos. This aligns with earlier commitments, such as the Port Harcourt Declaration of May 2022, where African naval and coast guard leaders endorsed the creation of a CMTF. Subsequently, at its 1174th session, the PSC directed the AU Commission to work with the Gulf of Guinea Commission (GGC) and the CMTF to ensure operational coordination. It also called for the accelerated operationalisation of the Committee of the Heads of African Navies and Coastguards (CHANS). Given these developments, the upcoming PSC session is expected to assess the role of the CMTF in combating piracy and explore ways to enhance synergy among existing maritime security initiatives.
The final session of the PSC, set for 25 April, is dedicated to ‘Reflection on the political landscape in the Sahel Region with a focus on the regional implications of the recent withdrawal of the Republics of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger from ECOWAS.’ Following the announcement by Burkina Faso, Niger and Mali on their withdrawal from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) following the sanctions imposed on Niger after the July 2023 coup, it is to be recalled that the 37th Ordinary Session of the AU Assembly in February 2024 expressed ‘grave concern of (sic) the joint communiqué of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger withdrawing from ECOWAS’. At the same time, on January 29, 2025, despite a six-month extension offer from ECOWAS, the withdrawal of the three Sahelian countries (who formed the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) took effect, marking the most significant crisis in West Africa’s regional integration since the founding of ECOWAS in 1975. Apart from its impact on regional and continental integration, the PSC session on 25 April will serve to reflect on the implications of this fragmentation of the West African regional order to the African Peace and Security Architecture.
[1] Additionally, 1 April also marks the Flag Day for the newly elected PSC members, during which the flags of the newly constituted PSC will be installed at the PSC Chamber. This will be accompanied by a briefing from the Chairperson of the African Union Commission (AUC) as envisaged in the PPoW.
Monthly Digest on The African Union Peace And Security Council - February 2025
Monthly Digest on The African Union Peace And Security Council - February 2025
Date | February 2025
In February 2025, the African Union (AU) Peace and Security Council (PSC), chaired by Equatorial Guinea, convened two of the sessions anticipated in the Provisional Programme of Work and held a third session on a theme added during the month. The sessions were held at two levels: ambassadorial and summit levels. With the addition of another conflict situation to the summit level session initially envisaged to deal with only one country-specific situation and another theme dedicated to consideration of the outcome of the Oran Seminar, the PSC addressed four agenda items in the three sessions it held during the month.
Women, Peace, and Security in Africa
Women, Peace, and Security in Africa
Date | 20 March 2025
Tomorrow (21 March), the African Union (AU) Peace and Security Council (PSC) is scheduled to hold a session on the Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) agenda.
Following opening remarks by Mohammed Arrouchi, Morocco’s Permanent Representative to the AU and the stand-in Chairperson of the PSC for March 2025, Bankole Adeoye, AU Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace, and Security (PAPS), will deliver the introductory statement. Bineta Diop, Special Envoy of the Chairperson of the AU commission on WPS, is expected to brief the Council on the progress made in the implementation of the WPS agenda. Presentations are also expected from representatives of the UN Women and the European Union Delegation to the AU. Nefertiti Mushiya Tshibanda, Permanent Representative of the International Organization of Francophone (OIF) and Nouzha Bouchareb, from the national chapter of the African Women’s Network for Conflict Prevention and Mediation (FemWise-Africa), are also expected to make interventions.
Since its 223rd session convened on 30 March 2010, when it decided to hold annual open sessions dedicated to the WPS theme, the PSC has institutionalised its session dedicated to the WPS agenda in Africa. And significant progress has been achieved normatively and in putting in place structures, processes and mechanisms for advancing the WPS agenda. As documented in our special research report, while significant normative advancements have been made, the persistent gap between policy commitments and implementation remains a major concern. As tomorrow’s session marks the 15th anniversary since the 223rd session of the PSC adopting the WPS agenda, a major issue for the PSC is how to advance implementation.
The last PSC session on the WPS agenda was on 30 October 2024 during the Council’s 1242nd session, marking the 24th anniversary of UNSCR 1325. The session underscored the critical role of women in conflict resolution and urged Member States to ensure a more equal representation of women in all aspects of peace processes, including the design and implementation phases. In the adopted communiqué, the Council made several requests to the Commission, including the establishment of rigorous monitoring and evaluation mechanisms for the implementation of Resolution 1325 and the exploration of funding options for gender components of peace and security, including from the Peace Fund.
Given the alarming levels of conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV) and gender-based violence (GBV) in conflict situations, including most notably in Sudan and Eastern DRC, one of the issues for the PSC is how to ensure that peace and security initiatives in specific conflict situations make provision for a gendered approach to peacemaking and mediation and for protection measures tailoring to the continuing vulnerability of women to CRSV and GBV. In this respect, a major new development that is expected to inform PSC’s consideration of how to enhance effective response to the persistence of CRSV and GBV in tomorrow’s session is the adoption by the 38th AU Assembly in February 2025 of the AU Convention on Ending Violence Against Women and Girls. This Convention is particularly significant in terms of the 2019 report of the Special Envoy noted in Amani Africa’s special research report that while there is some progress in respect to the provision of psychosocial protection and support, access to justice to ensure redress and accountability remains inaccessible for many women.
In this respect, it is of particular significance for members of the PSC to emphasise the need for speeding up the ratification of this newest AU Convention and its domestication as a pre-requisite for creating the legal, political and social conditions that promote respect for the physical security and dignity of women and girls. Equally, there is a need for the AU to take steps for adapting the measures envisaged in the Convention in order to ensure their integration into all peace and security initiatives of the AU and for designing tailored strategy for the Convention’s implementation in conflict situations. Apart from the prevention and response stages, the importance of the inclusion of gender-sensitive provisions into peace agreements to ensure that women’s security concerns are not sidelined in the post-conflict phase cannot be underestimated.
As this month marks 15 years since the introduction of the WPS agenda in the PSC, it is also of importance for members of the PSC to consider the effective operationalisation and implementation of various instruments developed over the years for advancing the agenda. One such agenda is the Continental Results Framework (CRF), a tool designed to institutionalise regular and systematic tracking of progress of the WPS agenda. The CRF is dependent on Member States’ willingness to adhere to reporting obligations and implement corrective measures. Even then, instead of making follow-up dependent exclusively on reporting by member states, members of the PSC may also consider the inclusion in the strategic plan of the Special Envoy on WPS of periodic assessment of both the performance of member states and all AU and Regional Economic Communities (RECs)/Regional Mechanisms (RMs) peace processes under the CRF.
FemWise Africa, a subsidiary body of the Panel of the Wise dedicated to advancing the role of women in preventive diplomacy and mediation, has played an important role in expanding the pool of women practitioners and experts and strengthening the role of women mediators and their contributions to more inclusive peace processes. Additionally, the decentralisation of FemWise-Africa is a critical step to facilitate localised interventions in preventive diplomacy and mediation. Still, the PSC must encourage Member States and RECs to accelerate efforts to establish national and regional chapters with adequate resources to ensure that women are involved in conflict prevention and mediation in meaningful ways.
Another issue expected to be raised in tomorrow’s session is the need to advance women’s meaningful participation in peace processes. The Conclusions of the high-level ministerial seminar, a biennial forum institutionalised as the Swakopmund Process, convened on 23 March 2024, underscored the importance of adopting a gender parity policy for all AU-led and co-led mediation processes. Despite being disproportionately affected by conflicts, women remain significantly underrepresented in decision-making roles. A gender parity policy would play a key role in ensuring that the selection and appointment of mediators, technical experts, special envoys and others relevant to the facilitation of peace processes takes into account gender perspectives and meaningful inclusion of women. However, despite growing commitments, women remain underrepresented, particularly in high-stakes mediation efforts. The significance of integrating women into peace processes, further to being a matter of justice, is also a matter of strategic imperative to ensure the durability of peace processes by leveraging women’s conflict-resolution skills and community engagement strengths for long-term stability.
It is in this respect that the PSC requested the AU Commission to develop a Policy Framework on Women Quotas in Formal Peace Processes across Africa. This framework aims to ensure that the continent meets the statutory minimum of 30% gender quota for women’s participation in all conflict prevention and management missions, peace processes, and election observation missions led by the AU. FemWise-Africa, in collaboration with the Gender, Peace, and Security Program and the Office of the Special Envoy on WPS, welcomed the PSC’s directive to develop a policy framework ensuring gender equity and equality in all AU-led mediation and peace processes. Tomorrow’s session thus presents an opportunity for the PSC to follow up on this request.
One of the challenges in the implementation of the WPS agenda is the lack of sustainable financing. It is to be recalled that in its 1187th session, the PSC emphasised the need for adopting financial mechanisms to facilitate the meaningful participation of women in peace processes, including capacity programs to provide the requisite skills in conflict prevention, resolution, and management. Financing WPS to support women’s leadership development, mediation training, and participation in peace missions is an essential component of ensuring women’s voices are meaningfully included. Tomorrow’s session may explore ways to mobilise additional resources to expand financial and institutional support for women-led mediation efforts.
The expected outcome of tomorrow’s session is a communique. The PSC is expected to strongly condemn conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV), especially against women and children in conflict situations, particularly in Sudan and Eastern DRC. The Council may express concern about the deteriorating security situation affecting women and girls in conflict-affected regions. The PSC may welcome the adoption of the AU Convention on Ending Violence Against Women and Girls and urge Member States to ratify and domesticate the Convention. The PSC may call on the relevant AU structures working on WPS to work jointly for adapting the measures envisaged in the AU Convention on Ending Violence Against Women and Girls in order to ensure their integration into all peace and security initiatives of the AU and for designing a tailored strategy for the Convention’s implementation in conflict situations. It may also call for a shift in the focus of the WPS agenda from the development of norms, structures and processes to implementation, including prioritisation of systematic integration of WPS across the conflict continuum from prevention to post-conflict. The PSC may request the inclusion into the strategic/work plan of the AU Special Envoy on WPS the conduct of a periodic assessment of both the performance of member states and all AU and RECs/RMs peace processes under the Continental Results Framework. The PSC may call for concrete measures on putting in place strategy for the implementation of the 30% quota for women participation in all peace processes at the AU, RECs/RMs and national levels. Council may also encourage Member States and RECs/RMs to accelerate efforts to establish national and regional chapters of FemWise with adequate resources to expand the pool of women peace experts and ensure participation of women.
