Africa Amnesty Month
Amani Africa
Date | 03, September 2020
PSC session on africa amnesty month:implementation of the au theme of the year 2020: ‘silencing the guns: creating conducive conditions for africa’s development’ within the au flagship project on silencing the guns
Tomorrow (3 September) the African Union (AU) Peace and Security Council (PSC) is expected to hold its 943rd session. The session is expected to be partially open and will commemorate the Africa Amnesty Month with a focus on the implementation of the AU theme of the year 2020: ‘Silencing the Guns: Creating Conducive Conditions for Africa’s Development’ as part of the AU flagship project on Silencing the Guns.
Representatives of the five geographic regions of the AU, Regional Economic Communities (RECs) and Regional Mechanisms (RMs) as well as beneficiary member states of the joint AU and UN Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA) project, which are Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Cote D’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia and Kenya are expected to participate.
The PSC Chair Ambassador Mohamed Idriss is expected to deliver the opening statement. The Commissioner for Peace and Security Smail Cergui and Commissioner for Political Affairs Minata Samate Cessouma and the representative of the UNODA are expected to deliver presentations. Others who are also expected to address the session are the Regional Centre on Small Arms (RECSA) and the African Centre for the Constructive Resolution of Disputes (ACCORD) are also scheduled to provide briefings.
Tomorrow’s session will be the fourth commemorative session since the 2017 Assembly decision Assembly/AU/Dec.645 (XXIX) declared the month of September each year until 2020 as “Africa Amnesty Month”. The session affords the opportunity to assess the efforts around surrender and collection of illicit weapons and in curbing the flow of illegal arms. It also aims at taking stocks of ongoing activities and challenges in realizing the objectives of the Amnesty Month.
One aspect of the tomorrow’s deliberation will focus on the joint AU and UNODA project implemented in the seven countries. The project was launched in March 2020 in Burkina Faso, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Central African Republic and Kenya, the reaming three countries namely Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire and Ethiopia joined in July 2020.
Countries are expected to share their experiences, best practices and lessons learned in managing and controlling the flow of illicit arms and weapons. The countries represent various regions and are at various stages in peace and security as well as in terms of experiences in managing illicit flow of arms. The joint project implemented in the countries has four major activities planned for the year. The first activity is a campaign and media events to mobilize and sensitize people on the risks of illicit trafficking of small arms. In line with the AU decision and the purpose of the Amnesty month, governments do not prosecute or undertake punitive measures against individuals that voluntarily surrender illegal weapons during the month of September.
The second strand of the project aims at activities related to the collection and safe storage of illicit weapons. The third component aims at destroying the weapons and arms that been collected. The fourth element is community policing training workshops to law enforcement for increased security.
Apart from the national focal points on small arms control, RECSA is an implementing partner of the project, hence its intervention may further complement the statements that will be made by member states. The contributions from the various stakeholders is also expected to feature in the report of the PSC on Silencing the Guns that will be submitted to the AU Assembly.
In addition to the experience sharing from national institutions, the discussion will also benefit from the intervention of RECs and RMs. The proliferation and flow of illicit arms is trans-boundary in nature and particularly in countries with limited border control it can be a serious security threat that stretches over multiple countries or even regions. Hence the response requires a regional strategy and concerted efforts among member states. In this regard, it is of interest for PSC members to explore how to further enhance and reinforce their coordination at national, regional and continental levels in order to control and monitor the use and movement of arms in the Continent.
UNODA’s presentation may broadly shed light on planned activities for the year in the various countries. It may also highlight on the role of youth in realizing the activities under the Amnesty month. In fact, one of the campaigns targeting the youth is the “Your Voice Matters – What is your Slogan for the Africa Amnesty Month” contest that is open to any young person from the six participating countries (with the exception of Ethiopia). The winning slogan will be used in the nation-wide campaign for the Amnesty month.
The AU through its Youth Envoy has also launched a campaign in July 2020 to provide a platform to mobilize and advance the role of the youth in the realization of the Silencing the Guns agenda. It will also be important in linking such kinds of continental initiatives with national projects that are currently being undertaken in the seven countries. Tomorrow’s commemoration of the Amnesty month is taking place in the context of the ongoing COVID19 pandemic. The various presentations and interventions may also highlight the impact of the pandemic on the surrender and collection processes of the illicit weapons.
The extent to which the overstretched capacity and resources of member states can effectively undertake disarmaments efforts is one of the key challenges that might be raised by participants. A recent study by UNODA demonstrated the possible impact of the pandemic on the collection and analysis of data on diversion risks; national ammunition management-related programming; and on international assistance, cooperation, and funding initiatives.
It is known from the experience in various parts of the continent the lack or weakening monopoly of use of force by the state particularly in countries affected by violence leads to the emergence of reliance by individuals and communities on self-organized security provision. Accordingly, effective implementation of the collection and voluntary surrender of arms requires that states implement measures including the boosting of state-based provision of security services.
It is to be recalled that at the margins of the 2019 Amnesty month PSC session, the AU launched a steering committee on security sector reform (SSR). It may be of interest for PSC members to follow up on this mechanism and on its work over the past year. The expected outcome is a statement. The PSC may reiterate its previous decisions for Member States and RECs/Regional Mechanisms to submit reports to Council, through the AUC, on the actions taken in implementing the Africa Amnesty Month. The PSC may also underscore the necessity of monitoring and reporting on the movement of arms within the various regions and across the continent. It may call on the AU Commission to establish in collaboration with RECs and the UN a mechanism for monitoring, reporting on and addressing the illicit flow into Africa and movement within Africa of illicit weapons and arms that have made intercommunal conflicts in places such as the Sahel most destructive and deadly.
In terms of enhancing national capacity, the PSC may call on member states to put in place legislation on the ownership and possession of arms as well as safe keeping of armaments and ammunition depots and develop strategy for enhancing the provision of security services and peaceful conflict resolution mechanisms so that members of the public do not feel the need to resort to acquiring and using arms for defending themselves. The PSC may also welcome the mobilization of the youth in Africa in pursuit of the fight against illicit possession, circulation and use of illegal arms and weapons. Given that Amnesty month requires the
contribution of various sectors of society, it may also call for strengthened coordination not only at national,
regional, continental and international levels but also across the AU system and with various sectors of the African public including most notably civil society organizations and the media.
Provisional Program of Work for the Month of September 2020
Amani Africa
Date | September 2020
For the month of September 2020, Djibouti will assume the role of chairing the African Union (AU) Peace and Security Council (PSC). Prepared under the Djibouti’s Permanente Representative to the AU and the PSC Chairperson of the month, Mohamed Idriss, the provisional program of work of the PSC for the month envisages some eight substantive sessions including three country specific sessions and one partially open session.
The first session of the month, which will be the first partially open session since the PSC adopted its new method of working remotely, is scheduled to take place on 3 September. The open session will commemorate the annual Africa Amnesty Month, which is expected to take place in line with the implementation of the AU theme of the year 2020 “Silencing the Guns: Creating Conducive Conditions for Africa’s Development”. Although this session is slated to be open, it will not be open to all. It is expected to bring together various participants including representatives of Regional Economic Communities/Mechanisms and international organizations.
On 8 September the PSC is expected to hold a preparatory meeting for the 5th Informal Joint Seminar and the 14th Annual Joint Consultative Meeting between the PSC and UN Security Council scheduled to take place at the end of the month. South Africa is leading on this file on the side of the African 3 members of the UNSC. This preparatory meeting is expected to focus on discussing agenda setting for identifying the themes and country situations that will be the focus of the Seminar and the Consultative meeting respectively. The meeting is scheduled to take place through VTC.
The following day on 9 September the PSC is expected to consider the report of the Chairperson of the Commission on the situation in South Sudan. The last time that PSC was briefed on South Sudan was in April 2020. This meeting is expected to review the state of implementation of the ceasefire and the transitional activities including the operationalization of the various institutions of the Transitional Government of National Unity. The meeting is scheduled to take place through VTC.
On 10 September the PSC is expected to consider its program of work for October. The provisional program will be circulated to all PSC members through email and the expected outcome will then be circulated through silence procedure.
On 15 September the PSC will have another preparatory meeting for the annual joint seminar and Consultative meeting with the UNSC. Apart from narrowing down the specific theme(s) and country situations that will form part of the agenda, the preparatory meetings also serve to discuss draft of the joint communique. The meeting is expected to take place through VTC.
The second country specific session of the month is scheduled to take place on 17 September. It is to be recalled that on 19 August the PSC suspended Mali’s participation in AU activities due to the unconstitutional change of government. As per the terms of the communique of the 941st session of the PSC, the PSC is scheduled to receive update from the AU Commission Chairperson on the evaluation of the situation in Mali. It is also anticipated that the PSC will hear from ECOWAS on its engagements with the Malian stakeholders for the restoration of constitutional order in Mali. The meeting is expected to take place through VTC.
On 22 September the PSC is scheduled to consider the report of the Chairperson of the Commission on the Common African Position on the 2020 Review of the UN Peacebuilding Architecture. The position paper, which benefited from inputs from various stakeholders including Amani Africa, is developed following the decision of the 899th PSC ministerial meeting held in Angola in December 2019. The meeting is expected to take place through VTC.
The third country specific session of the month is expected to take place on 24 September. On this day the PSC is expected to consider the report of the Chairperson of the Commission on the situation in Somalia. This session is expected to review the current security and political situation in the country and the preparations towards the holding of elections in Somalia. The meeting is expected to take place through VTC.
The 5th Informal Joint Seminar and the 14th Annual Joint Consultative Meeting between the PSC and UN Security Council are expected to take place on 29 and 30 September respectively. Both meetings are expected to take place through VTC.
Briefing on the Situation in Darfur and UNAMID
Amani Africa
Date | 03 March, 2020
Tomorrow (3 March) the African Union (AU) Peace and Security Council (PSC) is scheduled to receive a briefing on the situation in Darfur and the UNAMID transition. Jeremiah Nyamane Kingsley Mamabolo the Joint Special Representative and Head of the UNAMID and the AU Peace and Security Department are expected to brief the Council.
Tomorrow’s session is an occasion to look into the political and security context in which the drawdown and the planned exit of UNAMID will take place. In October 2019, at its last session on Darfur and UNAMID, the PSC has urged the Sudanese government ‘in cooperation with the AU and UN to agree on a comprehensive withdrawal roadmap and to ensure that the process is carefully sequenced, conditions based, and aligned with the priorities and timelines of the Government’.
Following the PSC meeting, UNSCR 2495 (2019) decided that until 31 March 2020 UNAMID will maintain its current troop and police ceilings and during this time UNAMID will maintain all team sites for mandate implementation, with the exception of its sector headquarters in South Darfur, which shall be closed. The UNSC further noted that by the end of March it would make a decision on ‘courses of action regarding the responsible drawdown and exit of UNAMID’ and ‘to adopt a new resolution at the same time, establishing a follow-on presence to UNAMID’. Prior to the UNSC decision on UNAMID however, the Chairperson of the AU Commission and the UN Secretary-General are expected to provide the UNSC with a special report including an assessment of the situation on the ground, an update on the peace process, information on the status of UNAMID team sites previously handed over to the government, recommendations on the appropriate course of action regarding the drawdown of UNAMID, and options for a follow-on presence to UNAMID. The PSC may also receive an update on the status of the report.
For members of the PSC, the first issue to look into during tomorrow’s session is the security and humanitarian situation in Darfur in particular and Sudan in general. The situation remains volatile. The intercommunal clashes that erupted in West Darfur around end of December have further exacerbated the precarious conditions. Taking in consideration these factors the PSC may also assess the risks associated with the security vacuum that may be created with the drawdown.
Other issues of interest for the PSC include the factors and conditions that will determine the drawdown before the set deadline.
Ahead of the various meetings that are planned at the UNSC level, the PSC session may provide members the opportunity to frame a clear position on the drawdown based on the assessment of the situation on the ground and may also identify key measures. The PSC may also assess the situation in Darfur in relation to the transition of the country and the impact it may have on the wider political process that is unfolding in Sudan. To this end, the PSC may further examine the implication of the troop drawdown on the security situation in Darfur. In terms of timing, convening this meeting early in the month is also essential to ensure that the outcome informs subsequent meetings planned at the UNSC. In the context of the transition, some progress was made in the political sphere. The session may look into the process and outcome of the recently signed peace agreement. UNAMID has played a key role in repositioning itself in the support of the peace process in line with provisions of the Constitutional Declaration.
The mission has been engaged in the negotiation process by providing technical support to the Sudanese peace talks between the Transitional Government of Sudan and the armed movements represented by the Sudan Revolution Front (SRF) and Sudan People Liberation Movements- North of Abdul Aziz Alhilu and Malik Agar held in Juba. The peace talks were concluded with the signing of the framework agreement signed between the Transitional Government of Sudan and the Darfur armed movements on 28 December 2019.
The signing of the agreement requires further follow up. As indicated in the October 2019 AUC Chair and UNSG report the implementation of the agreement will entail coordinated work and resources on the security arrangements, the voluntary return and durable solutions for internally displaced persons and refugees, the system of governance, issues of land, transitional justice and reconciliation. This will require the concerted and coordinated efforts of the AU and UN under the guidance of the government of Sudan. Critical in this respect is the presence that the AU and the UN would have following the exit of UNAMID.
The PSC at its 884th session and later at its 906th session in January 2020 has reiterated its decision to undertake a visit to Sudan. Although this visit has yet to materialize, it will be an important step for the PSC to collect all the necessary first-hand information and to also formulate the way forward based on the outcome of the engagement it has with the actors on the ground.
This will enable the PSC to assess the situation in Darfur and to also examine if it indeed allows the transition from peacekeeping to peacebuilding. Thus, the PSC may set a new timeframe for the planned visit. The expected outcome is a communiqué. The PSC may urge for a phased drawdown that is informed by the security and humanitarian needs of people in Darfur. The PSC may stress the need that the drawdown should not put at risk the political gains made so far and the ongoing peace process in the country. The Council may welcome the signing of the framework agreement and ongoing talks and may call for the signing of the final peace agreement. It may also urge the parties to honor their commitments. The PSC may further reiterate its previous calls for the lifting of the sanctions imposed against Sudan and to de-list the country from the list of state sponsor of terrorism to support the country’s transition and economic recovery. It may also call for further support for the upcoming donor conference in April 2020.
Briefing on the Situation in South Sudan
Amani Africa
Date | 27 January, 2020
Tomorrow (27 January) the African Union (AU) Peace and Security Council (PSC) is scheduled to meet to consider the situation in South Sudan. The Director of the Department of Peace and Security, Admore Kambudzi, is expected to brief the Council. Sudan, current Chairperson of the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) and the UN are expected to deliver statements.
At its meeting on Monday, the PSC is expected to assess the progress made over the past two months and may express concern over delays in the resolution of the outstanding issues in relation to the pre transitional tasks.
The last time the AUPSC met to discuss South Sudan was in November after the expiry of the extended pretransitional period and the agreement reached by the parties to extend it for an additional period of 100 days following the Entebbe Summit convened by the guarantors. The PSC welcomed the extension to help address pending issues relating to security arrangements and number of states and internal boundaries of South Sudan, which are critical to the full implementation of the Revitalized Agreement. In this regard, it underscored the need for the parties to agree on a systematic approach for addressing outstanding matters, with a view to effectively and efficiently utilizing the 100 days to complete the remaining crucial tasks. It also requested the Chairperson of the Commission to brief the PSC on a monthly basis on the situation in South Sudan until the end of the 100 days extension of the pre-transitional period. It is in this context that the meeting on Monday will take place and it will afford the PSC the opportunity to assess progress with barely 30 days left before the expiry of the 100 days extension.
The half-way mark of the 100 days extension has already passed and not much progress seems to have been made in resolving the outstanding issues. The provision of food and supplies to the cantonment sites was an issue. How much progress has been made in terms of the screening, selection and training of the necessary unified forces will be critical in putting in place the security arrangements as provided for in the revitalized peace agreement. The government has released part of the funds, albeit late, to the tune of 40 million USD to help implementation.
However, ensuring accountability and transparency in the allocation and use of the funds remains a matter of concern.
The last two months have witnessed series of meetings by the principal signatories with a view to addressing the outstanding issues on the security arrangements and the number and boundaries of States. Riek Machar has been travelling to Juba to meet with President Salva Kiir and iron out differences on the pending tasks. The last IGAD Summit held in Addis Ababa last November was concluded without deciding on the status of Riek Machar.
It is to be recalled that the 67th extraordinary session of the IGAD Council of Ministers had recommended to the Summit to lift any restrictions on Riek Machar.
Even though the Summit has not yet done so, Dr. Machar has been travelling in the region without difficulty and the latest meeting between him and President Kiir took place in Juba in January. No breakthrough has yet been achieved and the discussions will have to continue to find a way forward.
South Africa’s Deputy President David Mabuza in his capacity as South Africa’s Special Envoy to South Sudan is reported to have proposed an arbitration to address the question on the number and boundaries of states. While the government has accepted the proposal, SPLM-IO indicated that the process has to be completed before the formation of the unity government. Angelina Teny, spouse of Dr. Riek Machar and Head of SPLMIO’s Committee for Defense is reported to have said that ‘the unity government cannot be formed before the pending tasks are finalized within the extended deadline’.
The parties have failed twice to form a revitalized unity government and time is fast running out for them. The remaining few days are going to be very critical for the parties to iron out their differences and pave the way for the formation of an inclusive transitional government.
Unless the parties demonstrate the necessary political will to do so, the possibility of the 100 days extension expiring without any meaningful progress cannot be ruled out. It is this likelihood that is creating growing frustration and fear in the region and beyond. The United State is pushing for stronger sanctions if the parties fail to form an inclusive transitional government before the expiry of the 100 days period. It has already taken unilateral sanction against Vice President Taban Deng, among others, for his alleged role in undermining the peace process. At its last meeting, the PSC had also urged the international partners to consider punitive measures, including targeted sanctions, to be imposed against those who continue to undermine the peace process in South Sudan.
This said, so far, the ceasefire is holding, and it was reinforced recently by the signing of a peace declaration in Rome between the government of South Sudan, the South Sudan Opposition Movements Alliance (SSOMA) under the facilitation of the Community of Sant’Egidio. Through the Declaration, the signatories recommitted themselves to adhere to the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement of December 2017 and avoid any further confrontation across the country to creative conducive environment for dialogue to resolve the conflict. That SSOMA, which is a coalition of holdout opposition groups including the National Salvation Front (NAS) led by General Crillo, committed themselves to the cessation of hostilities is encouraging. The government and the holdout opposition groups are expected to meet again in Rome to discuss about the monitoring mechanism of the cessation of hostilities. The Community of Sant’Egidio is also trying to initiate direct talks between the government and these non-signatory parties of the revitalized agreement. Efforts exerted to bring these parties on board have so far failed to bring the desired result.
If the outstanding issues including the number and boundaries of states are not consensually resolved before the end of the additional 100-day time period, it remains unclear how the unity government will be formed and whether it will have the support of the SPLM-IO. Under these conditions it is uncertain that the cessation of hostilities will continue to hold.
The expected outcome of tomorrow’s session is a communique. The PSC may welcome the series of meetings between President Salva Kiir and SPLM-IO leader Riek Machar and urge them to demonstrate the necessary political will to resolve their differences on outstanding issues in the remaining few days before the expiry of the 100-day time period and agree to form an all-inclusive transitional government. The PSC may express appreciation to the Deputy President of South Africa and other members of the Committee of Five in their efforts in trying to find a compromise solution to the issue of the number and boundaries of states. The PSC may further welcome the release of funds by the government for implementation of the pre-transitional tasks and underscore the need to release the remaining amount to help expedite implementation in the remaining days of the pre transition period and ensure the necessary transparency and accountability. The PSC may welcome the signing of the peace declaration in Rome. The PSC is expected to visit Juba before the expiry of the 100 days extension.
