Annual Interaction Between the Peace and Security Council and the United Nations Peace building Commission
Amani Africa
Date | 11 November, 2019
Tomorrow (11 November) the African Union (AU) Peace and Security Council (PSC) is expected to hold its annual interaction with the United Nations Peacebuilding Commission (UNPBC). The Assistant Secretary-General for Peacebuilding Support, UNPBC Chair and Vice Chair and the representative of UN office to the AU (UNOAU) are expected to address the Council. The Department of Peace and Security is also expected to deliver a statement.
The 633rd PSC session held on 18 October 2016 decided to institutionalize its partnership with UNPBC through annual interactive sessions alternating between Addis Ababa and New York, joint missions to conflict affected countries and joint retreats. Consequently, the Chairs of UNPBC have held consultations in Addis in 2017 and in New York on the margins of the 12th Annual Joint Consultative Meeting between the AUPSC and the UN Security Council in 2018. The UNSC in its resolution 2282 (2016) and 2457 (2019) has similarly urged the UNPBC to hold regular exchanges of information with relevant regional and sub regional organizations in particular with AU Commission.
Drawing on these decisions and the practice of the previous years, UNPBC is expected to provide update on its activities in the continent including recent field visits undertaken in conflict affected countries. The interactive session may also focus on particular regions and countries namely Central African Republic (CAR), Liberia, Sierra Leone, the Mano River Union and the Sahel. The two bodies are also expected to assess the progress made in the implementation of the previous deliberations and commitments.
The Chair of the thirteenth session of the UNPBC Guillermo Fernández de Soto Valderrama when outlining the 2019 work plan in January, highlighted the UNPBC’s partnership with the PSC should particularly ‘continue to focus on conflict prevention, good governance, human rights and national reconciliation’. These priority thematic areas are also anchored in the 2017 MoU signed between AU Commissioner for Peace and Security, Smail Chergui, and Assistant Secretary-General for Peacebuilding Support Oscar Fernandez-Taranco. The Sahel region and Liberia are also key priority areas in 2019 as indicated in the statement of the Chair.
In line with the work plan of the UNPBC, the respective country configuration Chairs may brief the Council on their activities. The Sahel region, which has also been a key area of focus at the recently concluded 13th joint consultative session of the PSC and UNSC, is expected to feature prominently in tomorrow’s session. PSC and UNPBC may discuss the deteriorating security situation in the region and the increasing attacks against civilians and security forces witnessed in Mali and Burkina Faso. In a high-level meeting on Burkina Faso convened by UNPBC in September 2019 participants underscored the worrying trend of the spike in terrorist attacks and spill over effects in other countries of the region.
The latest deadly attacks in the region are also an indication of the increased strength, capacity and territorial presence of terrorist groups and networks operating in the Sahel region. Hence, it is critical to assess mechanisms in which security operations can also be accompanied by political discussions and negotiations.
The Mano River region is another area on which tomorrow’s session is expected to deliberate. It would be of interest for the PSC to get UNPBC’s assessment of the situation in Mano River region and its support in Liberia after the completion of United Nations Mission in Liberia’s (UNMIL) mandate on 30 March 2018. In terms of the support for Liberia, the UNPBC is expected to highlight the work undertaken over the past 18 months in facilitating a smooth transition, in sustaining the peacebuilding plan and averting any gap that might be created after the withdrawal of the mission. The two bodies may particularly emphasize on the need for joint efforts in sustaining the peacebuilding process in the country.
Similarly, in the case of Sierra Leone the UNPBC may discuss the efforts in supporting the establishment of national institutions mandated to promote peace and national cohesion. Also, worth noting is the important role of ECOWAS in the region and the need to harmonize efforts at various levels in order to provide coordinated support in the countries.
The CAR, another priority country during the recent PSC-UNSC annual consultative meeting, is also expected to be on the agenda in tomorrow’s interactive session. It is to be recalled that there was a UNPBC visit to CAR jointly undertaken with the Assistant Secretary-General for Peacebuilding Support and the Assistant Secretary-General for Africa in February 2019. The visit, which took place in the aftermath of the signing of the Political Agreement for Peace and Reconciliation in the Central African Republic aimed at supporting National Recovery and Peacebuilding Plan and exploring the role of the UNPBC in the preparation of the 2020-21 planned elections. The Chair of CAR configuration, permanent representative of Morocco has then briefed the UNSC on the key findings of the field visit.
At a high-level event on the situation in CAR held in June 2019 the Chair of CAR configuration, described the situation in the country as ‘layers of unresolved conflict, weak state presence throughout the country, persistence of armed groups, and more than half the population in need’.
Most recently, alarming developments that may jeopardize the signed peace agreement have surfaced. The leaders of two rebel group who joined the government as military advisers after the signing of the agreement have recently resigned from their positions. Other groups continue to violate provisions of the agreement and have resumed competition for more territorial control. Opposition leaders have also voiced their strong disapproval of rebel leaders joining the government apparatus. The proliferation of armed groups continues to be a critical obstacle of the peace processes. A new armed group which is not part of the February agreement has emerged in northern CAR.
In addition to the country configuration Chairs the Vice Chairs may also use the opportunity to engage the PSC. Particularly Egypt as one of the Vice-Chairs of UNPBC may brief the PSC on the establishment and activities of AU Centre for Post-Conflict Reconstruction and Development (PCRD). Egypt as the 2019 Chair of the AU has been championing the PCRD work of the Union by supporting the establishment of the Centre.
The expected outcome of the session is unknown during the production of this ‘Insight’. However the PSC may adopt a communiqué. It is expected that the PSC would welcome the work of the UNPBC and commend it for the briefing it has provided on the activities in specific countries. It may call on the UNPBC to continue its support to countries emerging from conflict. The PSC could also express concern over the relapse some countries and regions back to conflict, which undermines the gains that were made so far. It may underline that sustainable peace requires addressing root causes of conflict hence the importance of the security and development nexus. The PSC may further call on the need to foster the strategic partnership to ensure the provision of a comprehensive and multi-sector peacebuilding support to countries and regions.
The situation in Guinea Bissau
Amani Africa
Date | 6 November, 2019
Tomorrow (6 November), at 3pm the African Union (AU) Peace and Security Council (PSC) will have a session on the situation in Guinea Bissau, which was postponed from the October program of work of the PSC. The representative of Guinea Bissau, Chair of Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), United Nations Office to the African Union (UNOAU), African Members to the UN Security Council (A3) Cote D’Ivoire, Equatorial Guinea and South Africa are expected participate in the session. The Director of Peace and Security Department and Director of Political Affairs to make statements on the latest political developments and the elections planned on 24 November.
The last time the PSC held discussion on Guinea Bissau was on 11 June 2019 where it urged ‘the President of the Republic of Guinea Bissau to urgently initiate consultations, with a view to appointing a Prime Minister, in accordance with the will of the people, as expressed in the legislative elections of 10 March 2019 and, in due course, to announce the date of the presidential election scheduled for this year before the expiration of his current term on 23 June 2019’.
On 16-18 June the PSC, acting on its communique of 11 June, undertook a field visit to Guinea-Bissau. During the visit the PSC held consultations with various Guinea-Bissau political actors, including President Jose Mario Vaz. During the two days visit the delegation of the PSC urged the president to announce the date for Presidential elections before June 23rd, 2019 and appoint the Prime Minister. The delegation also pressed all parties to constitute the National Assembly and review the National Constitution.
On 18 June, the day the PSC concluded its visit, the President announced that presidential elections would be held on 24 November. He also appointed Aristides Gomes as prime minister on 22 June following a high- level mission of ECOWAS to Bissau on 19-20 June. ECOWAS had to mobilize further diplomatic efforts during its 29 June summit to have President Vaz accept the composition of the new government under Prime Minister Gomes. ECOWAS summit gave Vaz a deadline of 3 July to appoint a new government, based on the prime minister’s proposal, and a new attorney general, to be chosen by consensus. In apparent exchange, the summit ECOWAS summit decided that Vaz remains in office, after expiry of his term, until the election, although the management of the affairs of the state was left in the hands of the new government under the new Prime Minister Gomes. On the same day, Vaz appointed the government and a new attorney general based on Prime Minister Gomes’ proposal. The composition of the government mainly consists of PAIGC members and supporters.
With the political wrangling continuing unabated even after the formation of the new government, the UN Office for West Africa and the Sahel, the AU, the Community of Portuguese Speaking Countries (CPLP) and ECOWAS undertook a mission to Bissau. The communiqué of the 7 October joint field mission of these international bodies strongly urged for the presidential election to be held during 2019.
On 14 October, the Supreme Court of Justice of Guinea- Bissau announced the provisional list of 13 candidates for the upcoming presidential elections, including the incumbent President who is expected to run as an independent candidate after being unable to secure the nomination of the opposition party Movement for Democratic Change (MADEM-G15). Other candidates include former Prime Minister Domingos Simoes Pereira of PAIGC, who was the initial candidate to lead the new government formed on 29 June, and Nuno Gomes Nabian for the United People’s Assembly – Guinea-Bissau Democratic Party (APU-PDGB). Although Nabian’s APU/PDGB is part of the governing coalition, it has recently formed an alliance with opposition Party for Social Renewal (PRS) to unite the Balanta ethnic group, which has strong links with the military, in support of Nabian’s candidacy. The former Prime Minister Umaro Sissoko Embalo is to run under the flag of MADEM G-15.
Other issues of concern that are of interest to the PSC include the manoeuvring of some elements to delay the election and cause the breakup of PAIGC, whose candidate is considered likely to win. The incumbent President as well continues to speak on the need for major reforms including constitutional reforms before the holding of the presidential elections. This request may also stem from the intention of postponing the elections beyond 2019, since the proposed changes require a long period of time.
It is against the backdrop of these rising political tensions that President Vaz issued a decree on 28 October dismissing the government of Prime Minister Aristides Gomes and appointing a new Prime Minister. With only three weeks left for the election to take place later this month, the decision by the President has further aggravated the tense political situation in the country causing serious consternation. With the terms of President Vaz having ended but ECOWAS agreeing for him to stay on without executive power until the 24 November election, the contestation over the legality of the decree he issued dissolving the government has put the country in a constitutional crisis, giving rise to questions on the compatibility of this action with the AU ban on unconstitutional changes of government. On 29 October, ECOWAS issued a communiqué calling the President’s decree illegal and reiterating its full support for Aristide Gomes and his government. Furthermore, it threatened to impose punitive measures against those found to be obstructing the upcoming election.
In his statement issued on 30th October, the AU Commission Chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat also expressed his deep concern regarding the Presidential Decree dissolving of the Government and reiterated his support for the efforts of ECOWAS calling on all the political actors to respect its decision and honour the commitments made in this regard. In the same vein, the UN Secretary-General issued a statement the same day expressing serious concern on the unfolding developments in Guinea-Bissau and calling on all political stakeholders to abide by the decisions taken by ECOWAS regarding the governance arrangements in Guinea-Bissau until the presidential election on 24 November.
The Chair of the 2048 UN Sanctions Committee on Guinea-Bissau, Ambassador Anatolio Ndong Mba of Equatorial Guinea has also been actively seized with the matter. He was in Bissau last week as part of the Committee’s mission to the country in carrying out its mandate. The United Nations Peacebuilding Commission is also engaged on the situation in Guinea Bissau and the Chair of the PBC Configuration on Guinea Bissau, Ambassador Mauro Vieira of Brazil was in Bissau last week to encourage the holding of a free, fair, credible, transparent and peaceful presidential election on 24th of November. He has written a letter to the President of the Security Council on 30 October 2019, sharing his observations from the visit. The decree was issued to dissolve the government after he returned from his visit and he urged Bissau Guinean political actors to exercise maximum restraint and resort to dialogue to resolve their differences.
The United Nations Security Council met on 30th October under any other business to discuss the latest developments in Guinea-Bissau and Cote d’Ivoire as the penholder initiated a presidential statement. On 4 November, the UNSC adopted the presidential statement. In the Statement, the UNSC expressed its
full support for the communiques that ECOWAS and AU Commission issued on 29 and 30 October respectively and the urgent need to hold the presidential election on 24 November.
The expected outcome is a communiqué. The PSC may urge the government of Guinea Bissau and the other political actors to hold the election on 24 November as per the set timeline and work towards a fair, free and peaceful election come 24 November. It may express serious concern on the recent developments in relation to the dissolution of the government by President Vaz, which may constitute a breach of AU rules on constitutional governance, and reiterate its support to the ECOWAS efforts including its plan to take punitive measures. It may call upon all political stakeholders in Guinea Bissau to respect the ECOWAS decision, refrain from aggravating the already tense political situation in the country and exert every possible effort to resolve their differences in full compliance with outcome of the March 2019 parliamentary elections and the ECOWAS plan. The PSC may welcome ECOWAS’s decision to extend the mandate of the ECOWAS Mission in Guinea- Bissau (ECOMIB) for a period of six months starting from 1 October 2019. It may request the AUC to strengthen support to the Special Representative of the Chairperson of the Commission (SRCC) for Guinea Bissau and his office particularly in relation to the upcoming election. Apart from requesting the AUC to deploy electoral and human rights observers to the country, it could also consider appropriate action in accordance with the Lomed Declaration of 2000 and Addis Ababa Charter on Democracy Elections and Governance.
Open Session on Living Together in Peace
Amani Africa
Date | 05 November, 2019
Tomorrow (5 November), the African Union (AU) Peace and Security Council (PSC) is expected to hold an Open Session on Living Together in Peace based on United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) Resolution 72/130. It was Algeria, as chair of the Month that initiated this item as agenda of tomorrow’s session.
During the session, Algeria as the PSC Chair of the month is expected to make a presentation. A representative from the UN may also deliver a statement. The presentations will be followed by interventions from member states and invited participants.
On 8 December 2017, the UNGA adopted Resolution 72/130, which designated 16 May as the ‘International Day of Living Together in Peace’ and a means of mobilising international efforts “to promote peace, tolerance, inclusion, understanding and solidarity”. The resolution highlights the need to promote the culture of peace and non‐violence and underscores the importance of respect for religious and cultural diversity across the world. It calls on States and world leaders to work in collaboration with religious communities and find ways to promote reconciliation, resolve differences and pave the way for peace and sustainable development.
Tomorrow’s open session is expected to provide the forum for participants to suggest practical steps for the realization of Resolution 72/130’s goals in the political, economic, social, religious, cultural and educational spheres of public life. Resolution 72/130 recognizes living together in peace as ‘accepting differences and having the ability to listen to, recognize, respect and appreciate others, as well as living in a peaceful and united way’. As such, the session is also anticipated to serve as a means for participants to reflect on the value and practical applications of ‘living together in peace’.
The UNGA, through adopting Resolution 72/130, called upon UN Member States, agencies and other International and Regional Organizations, as well as Civil Society Organizations including Non‐Governmental Organizations and individuals, to devote 16 May to celebrate “International Day of Living Together in Peace” to respecting culture and other local, national and regional customs, and taking educational initiatives and sensitization activities. It particularly tasked the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to facilitate the commemoration of annual International Day of Living Together in Peace.
María Fernanda Espinosa Garcés, President of the 73rd Session of the UN General Assembly, in her opening statement at the celebration of 2019 International Day of Living Together in Peace, stressed that all countries across the world should seek to promote dialogue and reconciliation as well as acceptance and respect of diversity and differences.
The increasing trend in Africa of hate speech, identity and religious based conflicts, hatred, exacerbation of ethnic divisions and extremist ideology among religious and ethnic groups has been noted with concern by the PSC in its decision adopted at its 836th meeting on 3 April 2019. Taking account of the multiple armed conflicts, political tensions and instabilities disrupting peace as well as social and economic cohesion in Africa, the PSC may use tomorrow’s open session as an opportunity to call on Member States, political oppositions as well as faith leaders to embrace and promote a culture of tolerance and appreciation of diversity. This also highlights the need for complementing peace‐making, mediation and peacebuilding efforts with interventions that leverage and support advocacy for a culture of peace and peaceful coexistence.
The PSC may in particular highlight the need for putting in place policy measures at national level to discourage the manipulation of ethnic, religious, cultural and social identities for fuelling tension, spreading hate and inciting communal violence in pursuit of narrow political objectives. Also, of interest for PSC members is the need for addressing the conditions and factors that make the manipulation of identities for political mobilization, inter‐communal acrimony and violence possible. These conditions and factors include inequality in political representation and socio‐economic opportunities, corruption and other forms of bad governance, natural resources curse and forms of political competition (winner takes all) that accentuate identity‐based mobilization.
The concept note for tomorrow’s session also underlines the importance of democracy, good governance and rule of law for the realisation of mutual respect for diversity. This rightly highlights the need to promote, protect respect, and fulfil core human rights principles such as the principle of equality and the principle of non‐discrimination based on race, religion, gender, language or any other status, which are fundamental for building up a culture of tolerance of diversity.
Adopting inclusive government policies aimed at equitable distribution of wealth plays a significant role in the realisation of the socio‐economic dimension of Resolution 72/130. Similarly, promoting moderate religious discourses helps to eliminate radicalisation and extremist religious ideologies and considerably contributes to the religious aspect of ‘living together in peace’. Utilising education as a means of instilling a culture of peace and tolerance in the minds of the youth and future generations would then ensure achievement of the social, economic, religious and political aspirations envisaged in Resolution 72/130.
It is to be recalled that various African countries have celebrated International Day of Peace on the 21st of September over the past years. Themes such as “Meaningful Youth Inclusion in Peace‐Building” and “Together for Peace: Respect, Dignity and Security for All” have marked the celebration of International Day of Peace in African countries. This year it was observed in a high‐level forum that was convened in Luanda, Angola in collaboration with UNESCO. Given that the themes of the celebration of 21st September and 16 May are interrelated, tomorrow’s session can reflect on how member states, civil society and the media commemorate the two days in a complementary way through public awareness campaigns and education on peace, unity, inclusion, and tolerance with particular focus on the youth.
In her speech at this year’s celebration of International Day of Living Together in Peace, María Fernanda Espinosa Garcés also particularly underscored the importance of the theme of the day with due regard to the challenges faced at the UN in adopting collective and multilateral decisions. Given the adverse impacts of unilateralism on peaceful co‐existence within and among states, tomorrow’s session also helps to reflect on the importance of multilateralism and collective action in the promotion of peace, reconciliation and mutual respect among countries and communities.
The expected outcome of the session is a press statement. The PSC may call on Member States for strengthened efforts in advancing solidarity and reconciliation. It may task the AU Commission to ensure that on 16 May ‘living together in peace’ is commemorated annually.
Provisional Programme of Work for the Month of November 2019
Amani Africa
Date | November 2019
For the month of November 2019, Algeria will assume the role of chairing the African Union (AU) Peace and Security Council (PSC). The provisional program of work of the PSC for the month envisages about seven substantive sessions, two of which will be open sessions. The Council will also be having a
retreat during the month.
On 5 November, the monthly programme of work of the PSC will start with an open session on Living Together in Peace, an agenda adopted by the UN General Assembly Resolution 72/130. On the same date, the PSC may consider a briefing on the situation in Guinea Bissau. It is to be recalled that the PSC had initially scheduled a meeting on 29th October and was postponed a day before its convening.
The PSC is scheduled to have a retreat on the AU Peace Fund in Addis Ababa on 7 and 8 November. The retreat is expected to bring clarity on the mechanisms in which contribution will be made to
the Peace Fund by member states and on ways of its utilization.
On 11 November, a briefing by the Office of the Peace Building Commission of the UN Political Affairs Department to the PSC is expected to take place. The following day, on 12 November, the PSC is scheduled to address two agenda items. The first one is the interactive session with the AU Commission. The PSC held its first interactive session in September and may use this space to strengthen coordination with the relevant departments of the Commission. The second agenda will focus on the preparation for the High‐ Level Seminar on Peace and Security in Africa expected to be held in Libreville (Gabon) on 16 and 17 December 2019.
On 14 November, the Council is scheduled to have three of its sessions for the month. The first one will be a briefing on the situation in South Sudan. This session is taking place two days after the deadline of the formation of the transitional government in South Sudan. The second session will be a
preparatory meeting for the PSC Ministerial Meeting taking place in Luanda in December 2019. The presentation of the provisional programme for December 2019 is scheduled as the last item for deliberation scheduled for the day.
The second open session of the month is scheduled to take place on 15 November and will be convened under the theme ‘Youth, Peace and Security in Africa’. It is to be recalled that the last PSC session on this agenda took place in November 2018. From 20 to 26 November, PSC members will attend the AU‐League of Arab States Partnership Summit. The last session scheduled to take place on 28 November has two agenda items. The first agenda item is expected to consider the renewal of the mandate of Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF). The second is on the preparation for the PSC Ministerial Meeting taking place in December 2019. In addition to these agenda items, the provisional program of the month also envisions in footnotes a meeting of the Committee of Experts, and a meeting of the Military Staff Committee, all of which are to be confirmed during the course of the month.
