Open session on Natural and Other Disasters and Peace and Security in Africa
Amani Africa
Date | 5 August, 2019
Tomorrow (6 August) the African Union (AU) Peace and Security Council (PSC) will hold the first open session of the month on ‘Natural and Other Disasters and Peace and Security in Africa: Beyond the Normative Frameworks’. An expert from the Meteorological Services Department of Zimbabwe is expected to deliver a presentation. The AUC is also expected to make a statement, which among others, seeks to update the PSC on the operationalization of the AU Humanitarian Agency.
The session is being held in the aftermath of two major cyclone events that wreaked havoc in the east and South eastern coast of Africa, the worst cyclone events to hit the Southern hemisphere last March and May. Zimbabwe, the PSC Chair for this month, was among the countries affected by the first of the cyclones, Cyclone Idai that hit the South-eastern coast of Africa in March.
While Cyclone Idai affected Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Malawi, Cyclone Keneth that hit the east and South-eastern coast of Africa causing death of many people and destruction in Mozambique, Tanzania, Comoros, Madagascar, Seychelles, Malawi and Mayotte Island. The cyclones resulted in the death of over 1000 people, in the destruction of farmlands, houses and public infrastructure such as schools and public health centres.
As these events show, Africa, while being the continent that contributed the least to the causes of climate change, is one of the parts of the world most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. It has been pointed out in a study by USAID that globally 57 per cent of the countries facing the highest double burden of climate exposure and political fragility risks are located in sub-Saharan Africa. The UN led Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has shown strong links between the impacts of climate change in Africa with some of the most intractable conflict on the continent. These conflicts are caused and exacerbated by existing structural environmental, socio-economic, political and technological weaknesses including environmental pressure over scarce resources, unemployment and poverty.
The agenda for tomorrow’s session indicates that the objectives of the session include ‘integrate climate information into infrastructure ecosystem and settlement plans’ and identify ‘innovative financing for reconstruction and climate sensitive infrastructure planning’. Indeed, the scale of the impact of the two cyclones reflects the weak state of the institutions and infrastructure of affected societies. The poor capacity of institutions and the state of the physical infrastructure and social services also contribute to poor mitigation, and response capacities.
The AU has policy frameworks to support member states in preparedness, prevention and mitigation of natural disasters including through the adoption of the program of action for the implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030 in Africa. According to the 2018 UN Secretary General report on the implementation of the Sendai Framework, only 13 African member states have national disaster risk reduction strategies that are aligned with the Sendai Framework. In terms of the role of the PSC, one of the roles assigned to the PSC under Article 6(4) pf the PSC Protocol relates to humanitarian action and disaster management. The African Peace and Security Architecture Roadmap 2016–20 and the AU Master Roadmap for Silencing the Guns by 2020 also recognize climate change as a cross cutting issue.
The AU Humanitarian Policy Framework and its annex the policy guideline on the role of the African Standby Force in Humanitarian Action and Natural Disaster Support (HANDS) articulate practical steps in facilitating response and humanitarian action in complex crisis or emergencies. The role of ASF in HANDS is also anchored in the PSC Protocol. Article 13(f) of the Protocol highlights one of the key functions of the ASF as being the facilitation of “humanitarian assistance to alleviate the suffering of civilian population in conflict areas and support efforts to address major natural disasters”.
While these policy frameworks and institutional awareness are important, these have not as yet translated into a coherent and sustained operational action. Accordingly, it is of major interest for tomorrow’s PSC meeting to look into the systematic inclusion of environment and the effects of climate change in the continent’s peace and security architecture and the development and security agenda of the AU, its member states and Regional Economic Communities (RECs).
The role of AU organs is also of interest. In this respect, it is worth noting that At its last ordinary session held in Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights adopted Resolution 417 on Resolution on the human rights impacts of extreme weather in Eastern and Southern Africa due to climate change outlining specific measures for addressing the human rights dimension of extreme weather events such as the two cyclones that hit east and south-eastern Africa.
In terms of inclusion of issues of climate change into the peace and security architecture, an important avenue is the establishment, as part of the continental conflict early warning system, a dedicated framework of whether and climate forecasting not only for detecting and alerting vulnerable countries of emerging whether disasters but also for mobilizing responses for mitigating impacts of such events and rehabilitating affected communities. As noted in the concept note for tomorrow’s session, this can be done by tapping into the expertise of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), which can play the role of supporting early warning and preparedness work. The contribution that the WMO can make has also been recognized at the global level when the organization has addressed the UNSC for the first time during the January 2019 open debate.
As noted above, tomorrow’s session will discuss the operationalization of the African Humanitarian Agency and its role in responding to natural and other form of disasters. The council has highlighted its expectation to see the full operationalization of the agency by January 2019 and has frequently called for the swift completion of the process.
Tomorrow’s session is expected to provide an opportunity to review the progress that has been made so far and outstanding issues for the full operationalization of the Agency.
Also of interest for tomorrow’s session is the integration into the strategies and action plans of the AU Humanitarian Agency dedicated tools and capacity for mobilizing intervention and resources for climate resilient infrastructure planning and for the anticipation, management and mitigation of climate induced disasters in Africa.
The PSC has thus far held five sessions on the impact of climate change induced crises in Africa. This session presents an opportunity for reviewing the evolution of PSC’s consideration of the impact of climate change in Africa and gaps in the PSC’s approach and AU’s responsiveness to climate change related disasters on the continent.
The expected outcome of the session is a press statement. The PSC may reiterate the importance of comprehensive, climate related security risk information, including credible data and analyses with a view to enabling Member States to predict with more precision the frequency of climate change related risks, including natural disasters, and to enhance resilience of vulnerable communities. It may also urge for increased allocation of national budgets for disaster risk preparedness and reduction and for integration into development finance of support for climate resilient infrastructural planning and community development interventions. The PSC may endorse the call of Resolution 417 of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights for the AU to declare the year 2021 the AU Year for Climate Change preparedness and response. It may also call on the AUC to expedite the operationalization of the AU Humanitarian Agency and the inclusion, as part of the finalization of the outcomes of the study on the nexus between climate change and peace and security (mandated through its 774th session), of assessment on Africa’s vulnerability to climate induced disaster and the measures required for mitigation and response.
PSC provisional program of work for August 2019
Amani Africa
Date | August 2019
For the month of August 2019, Zimbabwe will assume the role of chairing the African Union (AU) Peace and Security Council (PSC). Prepared under the leadership of Zimbabwe’s Permanent Representative to the AU Albert Chimbindi, the provisional program of work of the PSC for the month envisages some six sessions. The sessions have thematic focus including one open session planned for the month.
On 6 August, the monthly PSC program of work starts with the open session of the month on ‘Natural and Other Disasters and Peace and Security in Africa: Beyond the Normative Frameworks’. This puts spotlight on the role of the PSC with respect to humanitarian action and its operationalization. On the same day, the PSC is expected to consider and adopt the draft provisional program of work for the month of September 2019.
On 8 August the PSC is scheduled to hold the annual consultative meeting with the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR). This is in line with the protocol establishing the PSC, which under Article 19 requests the PSC to establish close working relationship with the ACHPR.
The third session of the month taking place on 13 August is expected to review the institutional relationships and partnerships between the AU Commission, non-African states and/or organizations and their impact on the implementation of the African Peace and Security Architecture (APSA) and the African Governance Architecture (AGA).
The following day on 14 August the PSC is expected to consider the state of foreign military presence in Africa particularly the implications on the implementation African Common Defense and Security Policy. There have been instances in which concerns have been expressed in the AU on the militarization of some parts of the continent with the presence of foreign military bases, particularly the Horn of Africa and the Sahel.
On 20 August the PSC is scheduled to have three agenda items. First it will deliberate on the cooperation, coordination and collaboration of the AU PSC and Regional Economic Communities/Regional Mechanisms (RECs/RMs) on Peace and Security Related Matters on the Continent. It may be recalled that the PSC had its inaugural meeting with the peace and security decision-making organs of RECs/RMs in May. Since then, at the Niamey summit the AU has adopted detailed framework for division of labour between the AU, RECs and member states.
The second agenda item is the monthly update on the harmonization of ACIRC into the ASF Framework. Finally, the PSC will receive a briefing from SADC on the Construction of SADC Standby Force (SADC SF) Regional Logistic Depot (RLD).
The last session of the month is expected to be held on 22 August which will be a brainstorming session on the concept of popular uprisings and how it impacts peace and security on the continent. In addition to these agenda items, the provisional program of the month also envisions in footnotes a briefing on the situation in Sudan that may be added in the course of the month.
Situation in Mali and the Sahel
Amani Africa
Date | 25 July, 2019
Tomorrow (25 July) the African Union (AU) Peace and Security Council is expected to hold a session on the situation in Mali and the Sahel. AU High Representative for Mali and the Sahel, Pierre Buyoya, as well as the representatives of the G5 Sahel Secretariat and member states of the regional mechanism are expected to make statements.
Since the last PSC briefing on the situation in Mali and the Sahel in April, the security situation has remained highly volatile, with the insecurity in many parts of the Sahel notably Mali and Burkina Faso, further deteriorating. Violence by various non-State actors, including terrorist groups, criminal networks and community-based and tribal militias, perpetrated against civilians and security and defence forces show rise. There are also concerns about incidents of violations involving security forces of Sahel countries further exacerbating already fragile conditions.
In Mali, following the violent attack that claimed the lives of 160 Fulani civilians in March 2019, at least 95 people were killed in an attack that targeted an ethnic Dogon village in central Mali. The massacre is believed to be a retaliation given ethnic Dogon militia were suspected of committing the atrocities in the ethnic Fulani village in March. For members of the PSC, it is of major interest to hear about risks of expansion of the increase in inter-communal violence and the spike in insecurity in central Mali and the political, developmental and security measures required for containing cycle of inter-communal violence and stabilize central Mali. The UN documented that as at March 2019, 100,000 people were internally displaced, representing almost a threefold increase in one year.
The briefing may also assess the political developments particularly in relation to the implementation of the 2015 peace agreement in Mali. The killing of ethnic Fulani villagers in March has resulted in the resignation of Prime Minister Soumeylou Boubèye Maïga and his entire government. This has slowed down the progress and implementation of the Agreement. The continued violent incidents targeting civilians, killings of signatory and non-signatory armed groups to the peace agreement and attacks on Malian defence and security forces and UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) have also further complicated the implementation of the Agreement.
For the PSC, the deepening insecurity in Burkina Faso reflecting widening security in the Sahel is very worrisome. The UN reported that from January to March, 86 security incidents were
registered in Burkina Faso, resulting in 376 deaths and injuries to 187 persons. In June last month, 19 people were killed following attacks by unidentified assailants. It is to be recalled that in December 2018 state of emergency has been declared in several northern provinces and has since been extended for additional six months.
According to the UN, the insecurity precipitated the displacement from their homes of more than 170,000 people, most of them since the start of 2019. Although much of the spike in insecurity affect Mali and Burkina Faso, a number of attacks leading to multiple deaths and kidnappings have also been reported in Niger.
Beyond the Sahel and West Africa region the PSC may also consider the impact of the deteriorating security situation in Libya and its effects on the Sahel region due to the proliferation of armed groups and the operation by terrorist groups. While the security responses tend to loom large, it is of interest for the PSC to look into how to prioritize the political and development responses including improving the relationship between states institutions and communities and strengthening state institutions and the delivery of services. This would draw attention to the multifaceted root causes of the crisis in the region including the adverse effects of climate change. The G5 and AU representative to Mali and the Sahel briefings may also provide an update on the on going initiatives including the 1 May G5 Sahel extraordinary summit of Heads of State in Ouagadougou on the fight against terrorism and organized crime and the overall security challenges in the region. During the summit Germany has pledged $51 million to support efforts by Burkina Faso in combating violent extremism.
The other issue expected to attract particular attention during tomorrow’s session is the role of the G5 force. The latest Secretary General report on the G5 Sahel force noted that the force has resumed operations in January 2019, after a sixmonth interruption following the complex attack
on its headquarters in Sévaré, Mali, in June 2018 and has conducted four operations. While the report noted that the force has attained 75 operational capacity, it continues to suffer from numerous challenges including training and equipment shortages, unclear sustainability of financing, the absence of fortified and secure operational bases, information sharing and coordination, and non-existent logistical supply chains to transport fuel and rations from the MINUSMA.
Apart from addressing these operational, logistics and resource issues facing the G5 Sahel force, also of interest for PSC members during tomorrow’s session is clarifying the strategic direction of the force, including anchoring it on a political strategy to be implemented nationally. Related to this is the need to clarify and develop the force’s strategic concept of operations, highlighted in the Secretarygeneral’s report.
The resource challenges facing G5 Sahel is expected to draw the attention of PSC members. The European Union reportedly announced in early July to give €138 million ($155 million) more to support the G5 Sahel Joint Force, including its police component. PSC members would in particular be keen to see provision of predictable support by the UN.
The report of the Secretary-General of the UN has underlined that the full operationalization of the G5 will depend on the predictable support it receives. Hence, he urged for a UN support office, funded through assessed contributions and independent of MINUSMA, to provide predictable and sustainable financing of support for the G5. Also proposed in the report is the extension of the support that MINUSMA provides to forces operating outside of Mali. PSC while renewing the mandate of the G5 Sahel Joint Force for a period of twelve (12) months, from 12 April 2019 to 12 April 2020, it also urged for ‘the need for the UNSC to extend the support of MINUSMA beyond the limits of the Malian territory to all other components of the G5 Sahel Joint Task Force’. However, the UNSC has extended the mandate of MINUSMA until 30 June 2020 with the primary strategic priority of supporting the implementation of the political Agreement in Mali.
Given the level of insecurity in the region and the difficulties confronted by the forces, the PSC during tomorrow’s session may recall its previous decision at its 838th session on the ‘need for Council to also undertake a field mission to the G-5 Sahel region, as soon as possible, in order to have first-hand appreciation of the realities on the ground, as well as efforts being deployed by the G5 Sahel’. It may identify the next steps in undertaking the mission. Similarly, this week the UNSC is expected to hold its mid year briefing on the Sahel. Mohammad Ibn Chambas, Special Representative and head of the UN Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS), is expected to present the Secretary- General report on West Africa and the Sahel.
Key political and security developments in the region are expected to feature in the briefing. The expected outcome is a communiqué. The PSC may express its deep concern over the deteriorating security situation in the region. It may reiterate the importance of the Nouakchott Process for the Enhancement of the Security Cooperation to collectively address the security challenges in the Sahel. It may follow up and provide concrete measures and timeline for the field mission to the region. It may call on the international community to continue and strengthen efforts and support to the G5 force and the countries in the region in order to mitigate the security challenges and reiterate its earlier call for the support from MINUSMA to be expanded to all G5 forces. It may urge member states in the region to maximize efforts particularly in terms of implementing political, socio-economic and environmental measures for addressing the underlying causes of insecurity in the region.
Open Session on Sexual Violence in Armed conflicts in Africa
Amani Africa
Date | 23 July, 2019
Tomorrow (23 July) the African Union (AU) Peace and Security Council (PSC) is expected to hold the second open session of the month. on sexual violence in armed conflicts in Africa.
During the session, The Special Envoy of the AU Commission Chairperson on Women, Peace and Security Bineta Diop and the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict (SRSG-SVC) Pramila Pattern are expected to deliver their presentations.
It is expected that the briefings will highlight the current state of and patters of acts of sexual violence in armed conflicts in Africa. Also of interest in the briefing by Diop would be the impact of sexual violence on women and girls as principal targets of such violence and on affected families and communities in general. As the issue of ‘conflict related sexual violence’ has been a standing agenda of the UN Security Council (UNSC) since 2010, the SRSG, Pattern, may additionally share the experience of the UN in dealing with sexual violence following its elevation on the UNSC’s agenda to a threat to security and an impediment to the restoration of peace through resolution 1820. The presentation may also address the AU-UN collaboration on response to conflict-related sexual violence that was formally established following the 2014 Framework of Cooperation between the AUC and the Office of the SRSG-SVC.
It is to be recalled that women and peace and security has been a standing agenda of the PSC since March 2010 when PSC held its first session dedicated to women and children in conflict in Africa. At its 223rd session the PSC made a decision to devote an annual open session, to the theme of women and children and other vulnerable groups in armed conflicts.
Since 2010 the PSC has passed a number of decisions on violence against women in conflict however there is still a need for a systematic follow up mechanism. Cognizant of this and in an effort of ensuring the implementation of existing decisions, the PSC at its 757th open session held in 2018 made a request to the ‘AU Commission to prepare evaluation reports on the implementation of its previous decisions on women and children in armed conflicts to enable Council to determine further steps to address any challenges’. The PSC further agreed to dedicate that the subsequent open session on women and children in violent conflict situations taking place in 2019 to ‘be devoted to consideration of the report of the Chairperson of the Commission on the status of implementation of its previous decisions on the plight of women and children in violent conflict situations’, although this did not materialize this year.
During the same session the Council has also ‘recommended the convening of an extraordinary AU Summit dedicated to the plight of women and children in armed conflicts, in order to give it the highest level of political attention that it deserves’. Despite the lack of implementation of the very decision that provides steps for strengthened follow up mechanisms; there are also opportunities in taking these commitments forward. The AU has declared 2020 as the year of silencing the guns and it also marks the final year of the AU Decade for Women. The year provides an opportunity to assess and reflect on the decade and to mobilize political support in elevating the issue at the highest level including by targeting the annual open session.
While the agenda on women and peace and security has been a standing agenda of the PSC since 2010, it is for the first time that the PSC focuses on sexual violence in armed conflicts. Such a focus will allow the PSC to adopt appropriate mechanisms for monitoring and responding to the serious violations inflicted on targets of sexual violence.
As documented in the annual reports of the UN Secretary-General on the subject, despite major progress made in terms of norm development and the level of attention given to the issue, sexual violence in armed conflicts remains to be prevalent in a wide range of conflict settings. The 2018 report of the Secretary-General pointed out that the rise or resurgence of conflict and violent extremism, with the ensuing proliferation of arms, mass displacement and collapse of the rule of law, has also triggered patterns of sexual violence. This has been evident in Africa in various conflict settings including in the context of the spread of insecurity to new regions of the Central African Republic, the surge in violence in Ituri, the three Kasai provinces, North and South Kivu and Tanganyika in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and in continuing incidents of conflicts in South Sudan in 2017.
Sexual violence is not committed merely as an isolated act of individual combatants. In many of the conflict settings, it is also employed as a tactic of war, terrorism, torture and repression. As documented in the report of the AU Commission of Inquiry for South Sudan, women’s body was made the battle ground for the rival armed groups in the South Sudan civil war. In those cases, to varying degrees, the strategic nature of sexual violence was evident in the selective targeting of victims from specific ethnic, religious or political groups, mirroring the fault lines of the wider conflict or crisis.
Instead of being a mere reflection of the situation of conflict, sexual violence rather manifests existing patters of gender relations in the society and hence mirrors the political, socio-cultural and economic position of women and girls in society. It is thus pointed out in the AUCISS report that sexual violence was also a result of existing discriminatory practices affecting women and girls including in particular harmful customary practices such as patriarchy, child marriages, abduction of girls, bride wealth, polygamy and wife inheritance.
The pervasive nature of sexual violence in armed conflicts in Africa, its strategic use by conflict parties and the grave consequences it entails on targets of such violence and their families require that the AU adopts strategies for the prevention and monitoring of sexual violence in conflicts and for taking remedial measures to cater for victims of violence including the provision of medical and psycho-social services and access to justice for holding perpetrators accountable. Also critical is the participation of women in peace processes and post‐conflict reconstruction and development programmes, which remains utterly inadequate.
The session may also address the role of peacekeeping troops in preventing and responding to sexual violence as part of their role in protection of civilians. Particularly it may look into member states and Troop Contributing Countries (TCCs) accountability and adherence to the AU Policy on Conduct and Discipline for AU Peace Support Operations (PSOs) and the AU Policy on Prevention and Response to Sexual Exploitation and Abuse for PSOs adopted in December 2018 by the PSC.
The UN has addressed the issue of sexual violence in conflict through the Secretary General annual reports to the UNSC. The 2019 report observes the continued intrumentalization of sexual violence as strategy of conflict targeting women and girls. It is widely used as a tool of repression, control, terror, forced displacement as well as to seize land and other resources. Sexual violence also features prominently in political or election-related violence. The report also makes reference to the concerning linkage between sexual violence, trafficking and terrorism and how sexual violence has been utilized in advancing extremist ideology. Of particular concern noted in the report, which is of interest in the context of the trend of expansion of terrorism and violent extremism in Africa, is how radicalization and violent extremism have increasingly contributed to the expansion of discriminatory gender norms that further weaken already vulnerable status of women and girls.
Most recently the UN Security Council has passed resolution 2467 on combatting sexual violence in conflict in April 2019. The UNSC recognized the need for a survivor-centered approach in preventing and responding to sexual violence in conflict and post-conflict situations.
As indicated in the concept note the expected outcome of the session is a joint communiqué, although in practice open sessions are followed by press statements. The PSC may task the AU Commission to submit a report on sexual violence in Africa with specific recommendations on the strategies for prevention, monitoring and remedying sexual violence, including its due consideration in the conflict prevention, management, resolution and post-conflict rebuilding initiatives. It may call on member states in conflict situations as well as those emerging from conflict to put in place measures that ensure that security forces do not perpetrate sexual violence and that they are held accountable when found responsible for such violence. It may also urge TCCs and PSOs to adhere to existing policies and normative frameworks in protection of civilians particularly from sexual violence.
Consideration of the Mapping Study on Illicit Arms Flows in Africa
Amani Africa
Date | 18 July, 2019
Tomorrow (18 July) the African Union (AU) Peace and Security Council (PSC) will consider the mapping study on illicit arms flow in Africa.
The Peace and Security Department (PSD) and the Small Arms Survey are expected to brief the council and present the main findings of the mapping study. The joint study has been conducted pursuant to the 430th PSC decision that tasked ‘the Commission to undertake a comprehensive study on the flow of illicit weapons into and within Africa and submit to it the outcome of such a study’.
Following this decision the AU Commission, jointly with the Small Arms Survey, has co-organized the inception meeting on mapping illicit arms flows in Africa, in June 2017. The press release at the inception meeting indicated that the study aims at producing data on patterns and trends in arms and ammunition inflows, diversion and illicit circulation, and gaps in control measures. The study also serves to equip the AU, Regional Economic Communities (RECs) and member states with relevant tools to ‘prevent the flow of illegal arms and ammunition into conflict zones, implement evidence-based policies and better measure progress and impact in line with the AU Master Roadmap of Practical Steps to Silence the Guns in Africa by Year 2020’.
The study has been underway over the past two years including the validation by RECs and international experts in 2018. Following tomorrow’s consideration by the PSC, the study will be launched and presented to the various stakeholders in the AU headquarters.
The study is expected to establish a continental data and analysis that identifies regions and countries affected by illicit arms flow and trends in the illicit production, trade, possession, stockpile and circulation of arms. The data and analysis may also identify sources and patterns of movement and circulation of arms. This study is essential given the complexity of the issue and the absence of a continental binding instrument and a dedicated continental mechanism that can monitor trade and illicit arms flows and track their effects on peace and security. Currently the Bamako Declaration on an African Common Position on the Illicit Proliferation, Circulation and Trafficking of Small Arms and Light Weapons is the only existing continental instrument but it only expresses political rather than legal commitment. Hence its implementation and impact has been limited. Additionally, there is not a continent-wide dedicated mechanism for promoting the standards of the Declaration.
The various RECs have established frameworks within their respective regions. Although this is a positive step, it has resulted in parallel legal regimes and made response fragmented. Even in regions that have instruments, implementation is still lacking. The very nature of the flows of illicit weapons necessitates a kind of response that is trans-regional and a standardized continental framework. The fragmented response has also left regions such as the Sahel without an established instrument.
Although the 832nd PSC session underlined the primary responsibility of member states in combating illicit circulation of arms, however their capacities are limited. A related challenge is the porous nature of the boarders of many African countries and their inability to regulate their peripheral territories. Member states’ limited capacity and resources in putting in place effective administrative and institutional measures for safe stockpiling of arms has affected the safekeeping and control of arms. In this regard there is a need for the AUC to provide guidance and technical support on ways member states adequately monitor and track illicit arms as well as produce reports on their efforts and the challenges that are encountered as a follow up to the various calls of the PSC for receiving reports from member states. Hence institutional support to member states for the development of national strategy and reporting will enable relevant national institutions in discharging their roles for effective control of flow of arms.
Previous PSC sessions have made reference to the linkages between the proliferation and illicit flows of arms on the one hand and terrorism, organized crime and financing of terrorist groups. Additionally, there is a need to recognize the increased transnational nature of conflicts and how weak border control leads to porous borders that allows free movement of traffickers of arms across national borders.
Flows and circulation of illicit arms are particularly critical in conflict affected countries and post-conflict situations. The absence of effective implementation of DDR and SSR enables the proliferation of armed groups and the flow of illicit weapons, hampering cessation of hostilities and peace building processes. It may also contribute to potential relapse to violence by compromising gains made in restoring peace and security.
The PSC may also follow up on its previous decision at the 832nd, which requested ‘the Commission to consider organizing a forum for the AU to constructively engage with weapons manufacturers’. Apart from being a shared area of interest for the UN Security Council (UNSC), this international dimension of the illicit manufacturing, trade and transfer to Africa of small arms and light weapons also necessitates developing close coordination and joint approach with the UNSC. The risks and challenges associated with illicit flow of arms have been regularly debated at the UNSC.
The UN Secretary-General submits biennial report on small arms and light weapons to UNSC. In the Resolution 2220 (2015), the Security Council requested the SG to continue to submit to the Council on a biennial basis a report on the issue of small arms and light weapons. Following this decision the SG has submitted its fifth report in December 2017. In this context, the growing concern over the increased links between transnational organized crime, illicit small-arms trafficking and terrorism as well as emerging technologies for illicit trafficking and production has received attention.
The expected outcome of the session is a communiqué. It may express concern over illicit small arms and light weapons within the continent and from the outside. It may commend the AUC and Small Arms Survey for leading on the development of the continental mapping study on illicit arms flows in Africa. It may call on member states in strengthening their monitoring and control mechanisms and may urge for enhanced cooperation among countries and with relevant international bodies. The PSC is also expected to adopt the recommendations of the study and call for their implementation. In its deliberation the council may call for standardization of the norms and approaches of RECs for a more harmonized and coordinated approach. In terms of targeted action within the framework of the AU Roadmap on Silencing the Guns as well, the implementation of measures directed at countries most affected by illicit circulation and trade of small and light weapons such as Libya. The PSC could also emphasize issues related to partnership and international cooperation in tracing illicit flows and movement of arms, capacity building to member states for arms and ammunition management and information sharing including through the UNSC.
