Monthly Digest on The African Union Peace And Security Council - August 2023
Monthly Digest on The African Union Peace And Security Council - August 2023
Date | August 2023
In August, Burundi was the Chair of the African Union (AU) Peace and Security Council (PSC). According to the Provisional Program of Work (PPoW), adopted in July, the PSC was scheduled to hold six sessions, which at the beginning of the month increased to eight (See Amani’s analysis of the PPoW). During the month, the PSC convened a total of five sessions. Of these, two sessions were on thematic issues and three sessions focused on country-specific situations. Additionally, the PSC also convened the 3rd Annual Consultative Meeting with the RECs/RMs Policy Organs. All of these sessions were conducted at the ambassadorial level.
Annual Informal Joint Seminar and Annual Joint Consultative Meeting of the AU Peace and Security Council and the UN Security Council
Annual Informal Joint Seminar and Annual Joint Consultative Meeting of the AU Peace and Security Council and the UN Security Council
Date | 4 October 2023
8th informal seminar
Tomorrow (5 October) the African Union (AU) Peace and Security Council (PSC) and the United Nations (UN) Security Council (UNSC) will hold their 8th annual informal joint seminar, ahead of the 17th annual consultative meeting taking place on 6 October.
Ahead of the consultative meeting, consistent with established practice, the PSC initiated the draft joint communique. The PSC Committee of Experts (CoE) and its UNSC counterparts, the Ad hoc working group of the UNSC made up of experts of UNSC members held consultations in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on 3 and 4 October 2023 to work on the draft joint communique.
8th Annual Informal Joint Seminar
The 8th annual informal seminar is expected to commence with opening statements from the co-chairs of the session, the PSC Chairperson, Daniel Owassa, the Permanent Representative of the Republic of Congo to the AU, and the President of the UNSC, Sérgio França Danese, Permanent Representative of Brazil to the UN. Introductory remarks will also be given by Bankole Adeoye, the AU Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security (PAPS), and Parfait Onanga-Anyanga, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General to the AU and Head of the UN Office to the AU (UNOAU).
This year’s informal seminar has three agenda items. The first two initially proposed by the PSC and agreed to were financing of AU-led peace support operations (AU-led PSOs) and enhancing cooperation between the AUPSC and the UNSC with a focus on working Methods. On the proposal of the UNSC, a third agenda item, namely youth, peace and security, was added. Of these, the agenda that is expected to receive particular attention including for purposes of the joint communique is the one of financing.
On financing of AU-led PSOs, the speakers from the side of the PSC are Uganda, South Africa, Cameroon and Ghana with the UNSC side being Ghana and United Arab Emirates (UAE). Despite the acknowledgment of ‘the adequate, predictable and sustainable financing’ of AU-led PSOs through five UNSC Resolutions and eight presidential statements adopted/issued since 2008, the journey towards agreement on and adoption of a resolution authorizing in principle the use of UN assessed contribution has been slow. Since 2022, a new window of opportunity has emerged driven by various factors including changes in the peace and security dynamics in Africa and the dynamics within the UNSC. (see Amani Africa’s special research report).
This year has seen several positive developments in this regard, including the adoption of the ‘African consensus paper on predictable, adequate, and sustainable financing for African Union peace and security activities’ by the AU Assembly’s 36th Ordinary Session and the release of the UN Secretary General’s report on the Implementation of UNSC resolutions 2320(2016) and 2378(2017) on 1 May 2023 as requested by the UNSC in August 2022. Furthermore, this year alone, the PSC dedicated two ministerial sessions (1153rd and 1175th) to discuss the financing of AU-led PSOs. Similarly, the UNSC convened a session on 25 May to consider the UN Secretary General’s (UNSG) Report released on 1 May.
Informed by the challenges of predictable financing affecting the effective functioning of the AU Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) and the various regional operations initiated at sub-regional levels including the South African Development Community (SADC) Mission to Mozambique (SAMIM) and the deployment by the East African Community (EAC) to Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the AU PSC during its session on 12 May 2023 under Uganda’s chairship lifted the September 2019 decision suspending the engagement of the African three elected members of the UNSC (A3) for negotiating a framework resolution on use of UN assessed contributions and authorized the A3 to ‘resume consultations with the relevant stakeholders towards the adoption of a UNSC resolution on financing AU-led PSOs.’ The PSC reiterated this authorization and tasked the AU Commission to work with the A3 in developing the resolution for its adoption before the end of 2023. Additionally, during its recent 1175th session, the PSC urged the AU Commission to complete the AU-UN Joint Planning Guidelines for AU-led PSOs. The guidelines aim to create a structure for unified planning, decision-making, and collaboration between the AU and the UN in relation to UN assistance for AU-led PSOs.
In addition to the development of the AU consensus paper and the Secretary General’s Report, a notable and significant shift has occurred in the stance of the US, whose objection and threat led to the suspension of the earlier process towards the adoption of a resolution. The UNSC briefing on 25 May 2023 signalled that there is generally wide support in the UNSC for the proposed resolution on the use of UN assessed contribution. Yet, it also highlighted that there are outstanding issues requiring further negotiations to achieve the adoption of the resolution. Some UNSC members including among the P5 indicated the importance of the AU clearly outlining its financial sharing plan, warning that any misinterpretation could hinder progress. Some others indicated their expectation of further clarification about fiduciary transparency, reporting and accountability including with respect to General Assembly’s 5th Committee processes and on compliance with human rights and international humanitarian law, while others emphasized decision-making, oversight and command and control of the missions financed from UN assessed contributions. There is an expectation that the AU side works on negotiating positions with specific proposals that help achieve consensus on the outstanding issues, particularly with respect to financial burden sharing.
Tomorrow’s informal seminar provides a unique opportunity for exploring opportunities for achieving consensus on the outstanding issues including based on the specific pathways identified in the UNSG’s May 2023 report. As such, a practical option would be to welcome the UNSG’s report and the proposals outlined therein as the basis for taking the negotiations forward.
17th Annual Joint Consultative Meeting
The following day, on 6 October, the PSC and members of the UNSC will hold their 17th joint consultative meeting. The first of the conflict specific agenda items of the consultative meeting is the conflict in Sudan. In this respect, Djibouti and Tunisia take the lead in delivering intervention from the side of the PSC, with Japan, Ghana, Russia and the United Kingdom (UK) taking lead on UNSC’s side.
On the situation in Sudan, violent clashes between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have been ongoing since 15 April. The war, which is about six months, is causing a humanitarian crisis of epic proportions, according to the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). On the 28 September humanitarian update, OCHA estimated that 5.4 million people have fled their homes since the eruption of the conflict. As Amani Africa pointed out in its briefing to the PSC on 29 September, the response to the situation leaves a lot to be desired. For example, humanitarian actors are able to reach only 19 percent of the 18 million people in need of emergency humanitarian assistance.
There is also the issue of fragmentation of initiatives for peace making in Sudan. In light of this, the communique of the 1156th session emphasized the need for a single, inclusive, and consolidated peace process for Sudan under the joint auspices of the AU, IGAD, LAS, and UN, along with their partners. Therefore, the joint consultation provides an opportunity for the two Councils to discuss on how to enhance their efforts towards establishing a more inclusive and consolidated peace process. The consultative meeting may thus echo the 1156th session of the PSC on the need for more coordination and streamlining of the efforts for peace in Sudan.
On the situation in the Sahel region, Ghana, Russia, Malta and Switzerland will lead the intervention on the part of the UNSC and Nigeria, Ghana, Morocco and Cameroon will take the lead in the intervention on the part of the PSC. The two main areas of concern that may receive attention are the deteriorating security situation with the worsening of conflicts involving terrorist groups and their attacks and the expansion of unconstitutional changes of government (UCG) in the region. According to UN records, 1,814 incidents of terrorist attacks took place in the Sahel region only in the period from 1st January to 30th June 2023. The resulting fatalities from these attacks were reportedly 4,593. In the face of such a sustained spike in terrorism and complex political dynamics, they may also highlight the challenges that may arise from the withdrawal of the UN Mission in Mali (MINUSMA). In this respect, they may emphasize close coordination on planning the withdrawal and consider the regional response to minimize the impact of the withdrawal while also underscoring the need for effective political, socio-economic, development and humanitarian strategy tailored to addressing the underlying causes and drivers of insecurity and UCG in the Sahel.
On Somalia and ATMIS, Djibouti, Burundi, Uganda, Zimbabwe deliver the interventions on the side of the PSC and UK, UAE, Japan, Mozambique will do so on the side of the UNSC. On the Situation in Somalia, besides the rising tension in Las Anod, a disputed area between Puntland and Somaliland, the discussion of the two Councils is expected to focus principally on the drawdown of ATMIS. In line with the planned timeline for transferring responsibility from ATMIS to Somalia Security Forces (SSF) and ultimately withdrawing ATMIS by December 2024, the second stage of troop reduction was scheduled to occur by the end of September 2023. It was anticipated that approximately 3,000 ATMIS troops would be withdrawn during this phase.
However, a letter from Somalia’s national security adviser, submitted to the President of the UNSC on 22 September, states that a request has been made for a 90-day extension in the second phase of the troop pull-out plan. The 1175th session of the PSC held on 23 September, acknowledged “the request by the Federal Government of Somalia to the current President of the UN Security Council, copied to the AU Commission, requesting a technical pause of three months for the phase 2 drawdown of ATMIS troops scheduled for 30 September 2023”. Subsequently, the PSC in its session on 30 September endorsed the request for the pause while underscoring the need for addressing the financial and logistical implications of the pause. Understandably, the implication of this pause together with the earlier extension of the first drawdown on the withdrawal timeline also deserves attention. In this respect, the PSC and UNSC may call on the need for mobilizing further financial resources to enable ATMIS to effectively carry out its mission for meeting the timelines for the incremental transfer of responsibility for Somalia authorities.
On the Situation in the DRC, Tanzania, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe will take the lead in making interventions on the side of the PSC and Brazil, China, France and Gabon will lead in making interventions on the part of the UNSC. On this situation, key issues that may be central to the discussions at the coming consultative meeting include the continuing attacks by armed groups such groups (as the March 23 Movement (M23), the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR)), attacks on the UN Mission in DRC, the status of international and regional efforts deployed to manage the conflict in eastern DRC; and the upcoming national elections in the country. With respect to the upcoming general elections, while the ongoing preparation for the conduct of the elections at the scheduled time has been a positive step, the heightened political tensions that have accompanied these efforts pose a serious concern. As noted in some details in the 21 September 2023 UN Secretary General’s report (S/2023/691), not only is the election already perceived to be marred with the absence of transparency and inclusivity, but there have also been cases of intimidation, attacks and even killing of representatives and members of opposition political parties.
Regarding the status of efforts deployed through the relevant international and regional mechanisms, the focus may be on the transition plan of the UN Organization Stabilization Mission in the DRC (MONUSCO) and on the deployment of forces by the EAC and the SADC. In this respect, the PSC and the UNSC may call for more coordination building on the inter-regional coordination summit held in Luanda, Angola.
In addition to discussing the implications of these developments, the coming consultative meeting may also briefly reflect on the continuing volatile nature of the security situation in North Kivu and Ituri, the two provinces in eastern DRC that have for long been the centre for armed insurgencies and conflict among various armed actors. The humanitarian suffering experienced in these specific areas may also gain some attention. Aside from civilian casualties resulting from attacks perpetrated specifically by the armed groups mentioned above, the rate of displacement in these regions has continued to show increase. Out of 6.1 million people that are displaced within the country, 5.4 million are located in the Ituri and North and South Kivu provinces.
It is expected that the two Councils will adopt a joint communique considering that there are no expectations for major disagreement on any of the agenda items. In the past couple of years, the joint communiqués were adopted in a short period indicating negotiations on their contents have been less challenging as compared to earlier years, including 2016 and 2017 when the adoption of joint communiqués were delayed and in 2019, when an outcome document could not be adopted altogether. As mentioned above, the PSC CoE and the UNSC Working Group have already started meetings on 03 and 04 October to prepare for the consultative meeting and also to negotiate the terms of an outcome document.
Amani Africa appeals to the Peace and Security Council to uphold the principle of non-indifference by taking concrete measures in the face of the worsening humanitarian crises including in Sudan
Amani Africa appeals to the Peace and Security Council to uphold the principle of non-indifference by taking concrete measures in the face of the worsening humanitarian crises including in Sudan
Date | 2 October 2023
Solomon Ayele Dersso, PhD
Founding Director, Amani Africa
Your excellency Ambassador Churchil Monono, Chairperson of the Peace and Security Council for the Month of September 2023
Your excellencies, members of the Peace and Security Council
We at Amani Africa Media and Research Services have the pleasure of addressing this premier peace and security decision-making body of our Union on this timely and pressing theme.
The Malabo Extraordinary Summit is a key milestone in Africa’s long journey towards putting in place mechanisms for effectively responding to and addressing humanitarian crises on the continent since the OAU’s 1969 Convention Governing Specific Aspects of the Refugee Problems in Africa.
With the establishment of the African Humanitarian Agency, the Summit enabled the AU to be equipped with the institutional arrangement that helps facilitate in the implementation of the Union’s normative and policy instruments from the 1969 Refugee Convention to the Kampala Convention on the Protection of IDPs.
Excellencies,
One of the unique attributes of the AU is the fact that it is founded on the principle of non-indifference. As an expression of the African world view ‘I am because you are’, Ubuntu, this principle Commits the African Union to come to the protection of people who are caught up in humanitarian crises and not to stand by and watch as they endure massacre, forced displacement and starvation.
The outcomes of the Malabo Summit including the African Humanitarian Agency are critical to giving expression in practical terms to this AU’s founding principle of non-indifference. The implication of this is that the AU, including through the leadership of the PSC, will and should be the first to engage in mobilizing responses to the needs of people caught up in humanitarian crises.
While part of the provision of response to humanitarian needs involves contributing to the raising of the funds and mobilizing humanitarian assistance required to meet such needs on the continent, AU’s role including through the African Humanitarian Agency will not primarily be to become the main funder and provider of humanitarian assistance on the continent.
Considering the well-developed capacities and instruments at the disposal of various humanitarian actors including UN humanitarian agencies like the UNHCR or ICRC, AU’s comparative advantage, on account of its unique attributes, lies mobilizing solidarity, political action, coordination and diplomacy. AU’s role thus first relates to coordination of humanitarian action for which the AU, through the African Humanitarian Agency, needs to engage in the tracking of the humanitarian situation and the collection of data on trends in and dynamics of the humanitarian situation on the continent. This additionally entails the identification of the needs of and mobilization of support to countries and communities in their effort to mitigate and respond to humanitarian crises.
The Second concerns the creation of space and the provision of support for mobilization of public opinion and action on humanitarian needs and for the organization and effective functioning of local humanitarian actors. As part of giving recognition to the enormous burden that host communities and countries bear as first responders, this should not only tap into the role of African non-state actors but also support the development and organization of indigenous entities engaged in supporting humanitarian action.
Third and perhaps the most significant role and contribution that is particularly befitting to the attributes of the AU involves humanitarian diplomacy. Considering its diplomatic and political profile, the AU is best placed to use the African Humanitarian Agency as the vehicle for mobilizing and engaging in humanitarian diplomacy. With the Agency, the AU has come to have a much-needed tool, as part of its peace and security and humanitarian action toolbox, critical to effectively developing AU’s capacity in humanitarian diplomacy.
It is therefore Amani Africa’s submission that particular attention is given in the building AU’s role in humanitarian action to humanitarian diplomacy. AU’s humanitarian diplomacy is best mobilized and organized around, among others,
- advocating for the mobilization of support for people in humanitarian crisis and the recognition and support of national and local humanitarian actors in their effort to support those affected by humanitarian crises;
- the deployment of diplomatic missions for facilitating unhindered humanitarian access;
- securing guarantee from conflict parties for safe, free and voluntary passage for civilians in conflict settings to areas where they can access assistance; and
- promoting respect for and full cooperation by conflict parties with humanitarian actors;
- monitor and advocate for compliance with human rights and international humanitarian law standards as well as humanitarian principles;
Excellencies and distinguished participants,
When Africa faced major humanitarian crises as a result of conflicts and insecurity in the 1990s, the Organization of African Unity (OAU) pointed out in the Declaration Establishing the OAU mechanism on Conflict Prevention, Management and Resolution that ‘conflicts have forced millions of our people, including women and children, into a drifting life as refugees and internally displaced persons, deprived of their means of livelihood, human dignity and hope’. These same powerful words are restated in the preamble to the PSC protocol.
In recent years, we have unfortunately experienced continuing deterioration in the humanitarian situation on the continent. The refugee and displacement crisis on our continent is currently at record high. As a result, today there are more people on our continent today than in the 1990s ‘who are forced into a drifting life as refugees and IDPs, deprived of their dignity and hope’.
The number of people forcibly displaced, mostly as a result of war and conflicts, have reached more than 40 million. This, your excellencies, is more than double the number of forcibly displaced people in 2016.
That such a staggering number of people on our continent are ‘forced to live a drifting life as refuges and IDPs deprived of their dignity and hope’ far more than in the 1990s is an indictment for all of us and particularly the AU and this august body.
In the light of the continually deteriorating humanitarian situation on the continent and in order to avail the PSC a mechanism for a more effective engagement in humanitarian action, it is therefore our submission that the PSC establishes an African platform on humanitarian action along the lines of the African Platform on Children Affected by Conflict – this platform on humanitarian action like the one on Children can be co-chaired by PSC member(s) that champion(s) this theme, interested members of the PSC, PAPS department and technical entities like UNHCR and research organizations like Amani Africa that provide the technical backstopping.
The urgency for humanitarian action in Sudan
Currently, the most heart wrenching manifestation of the gravity of the forced displacement crisis on the continent is the raging war in Sudan. The humanitarian situation has become so concerning so much so that the UN humanitarian chief, Martin Griffith, who did not mince his words in stating that the war in Sudan is fuelling a humanitarian emergency of epic proportions, sounded the alarm with the extraordinary warning that ‘war and hunger could destroy Sudan.’
Excellencies,
On the 15th day of this month, the war in Sudan marked its fifth months. During this period, nearly six million people have been forcibly displaced, with one million of them crossing into neighbouring countries as refugees and asylum seekers and the remaining displaced internally.
This means that this war forcibly displaced over a million people every month.
One of the world’s fast-growing displacement crises is also unfortunately accompanied by other no less severe humanitarian crisis including but not limited to
- severe challenges to humanitarian access (humanitarian actors are able to reach only 19 percent of the 18 million people in need of humanitarian assistance) and
- other forms of humanitarian emergencies including complete breakdown of the health system in Sudan, with nearly 80 percent of health services not functioning as a result of the indiscriminate attacks that warring parties perpetrated on civilian infrastructure in the country and with more than 6 million including hundreds of thousands of children facing emergency levels of acute food insecurity.
Excellencies,
As I conclude, I would like to state that the principle of non-indifference, which is the golden standard for the effective functioning of AU’s role in peace and security and humanitarian action, requires this august body not to be a bystander as Sudan faces the risk of not only humanitarian disaster but also collapse.
As Amani Africa we therefore submit that the PSC establishes a taskforce for monitoring, documenting and reporting on the humanitarian situation and protection of civilians in Sudan as well as for engaging in humanitarian diplomacy efforts focusing on
- the mobilization of support from within the continent in expression of solidarity with the people of Sudan;
- Ensuring that the conflict parties commit to and unconditionally stop indiscriminate attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure;
- securing guarantee from conflict parties to ensure for safe, free and voluntary passage for civilians in conflict settings to areas where they can access assistance; and
- promoting respect for and full cooperation by conflict parties with humanitarian actors
- Ensuring compliance with human rights and international humanitarian law standards.
Thank you for your attention!
Provisional programme of work for the month of October 2023
Provisional programme of work for the month of October 2023
Date | October 2023
For the month of October, the Republic of Congo takes over the role of chairing the African Union (AU) Peace and Security Council (PSC). The PSC’s provisional programme of work of the month, prepared under the guidance of the incoming chairperson includes four substantive sessions as well as the annual consultative meeting of the PSC with the United Nations (UN) Security Council (UNSC). Three sessions will be addressing various thematic issues, one session will have country-specific focus. The PSC is also expected to conduct a field mission to Libya within the month.
At the start of the month, on 3 and 4 October, the PSC Committee of Experts (CoE) and the UNSC Working Group will meet to prepare for the 8th joint informal seminar and 17th joint annual consultative meeting between the PSC and the UNSC. The CoE and Working group meeting will take place at the Julius Nyerere Peace and Security Building inside the African Union. While the CoE travelled to New York several times for such preparatory meeting, it is the first time that the UN Security Council Working Group to Addis Ababa.
On 5 October, the PSC will convene its 8th joint informal seminar with the UNSC. This 8th edition of the informal seminar is scheduled to focus on discussion on financing of AU PSOs and working methods in UNSC-PSC relationship. his seminar will immediately be succeeded on 6 October by the 17th joint annual consultative meeting between the PSC and UNSC. The agenda for this joint consultative meeting covers country/region specific situations namely Sudan, Sahel, Somalia and ATMIS and the situation in Eastern DRC.
On 10 October for its first substantive session, the PSC will receive a briefing by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) on its activities and the humanitarian situation in Africa. Since 2007, the ICRC has made regular briefings to the PSC, and ICRC’s president Mirjana Spoljaric Egger is expected to present the briefing this year, to reflect on pertinent humanitarian concerns in Africa. Among other key points, the briefing could provide an opportunity to discuss persisting and emerging trends in the humanitarian situation and in the provision of humanitarian assistance in the continent.
For its second substantive and only country-specific session of the month, on 17 October, the PSC will receive updates on the two recent situations of military coup in Africa: Niger and Gabon. Since the coup in Niger on 26 July, this will be the third time the PSC will be discussing the situation. During its previous session on 14 August, the PSC had decided to suspend Niger from all activities of the AU, and its organs and institutions until effective restoration of constitutional order.
Following the coup in Gabon on 30 August, the PSC held an emergency session on the situation on 31 August where it condemned the coup and immediately suspended Gabon from all activities of the AU and its organs and institutions until the restoration of constitutional order and demanded such restoration to be through the conduct of a free, fair, credible, and transparent election observed by the AU Election Observer Mission and the concerned region. This session will allow the PSC to scrutinize the implementation and effectiveness of the outcomes of its previous sessions to ensure restoration of constitutional order in both Niger and Gabon.
As its third substantive session on 19 August, the PSC will discuss on the AU Sanctions regime. The PSC is expected to deliberate on the effectiveness and enforceability of the AU Sanctions regime. During its 1100th session held on 15 August 2022, the PSC had deliberated on sanctions and enforcement, particularly as a deterrence against unconstitutional changes of government (UCGs). The PSC is expected to receive update on the development of the sanctions mechanism and the related progress towards the operationalization of the PSC Sub-Committee on Sanctions.
From 23 to 26 October, the PSC will undertake a field mission to Libya, to express AU Solidarity with the Libyan people and to gather first-hand information on the situation on the ground with a view to adopt more informed decisions on the next steps in favor of Libya. This field mission is a follow up on the PSC’s decision of its 1136th meeting. In addition to armed conflicts, Libya is grappling with the devastating impact of the deadliest Mediterranean tropical-like cyclone in recorded history, Storm/Cyclone Daniel, that hit Libya, Greece, Bulgaria, Turkey, Egypt, and Israel at the beginning of September 2023. The impact of the cyclone hit Libya the hardest with the World Health Organization (WHO) recording over 4000 deaths and over 8500 people missing, and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) estimating over 43,000 people displaced in Libya, while Greece, Turkey and Bulgaria had 17, 7 and 4 fatalities respectively. The significantly devastating impact of the cyclone in Libya was due to the country’s vulnerabilities owing to weakened critical infrastructure involving dams in Derna due to lack of maintenance and neglect made possible by years’ long conflict that has plagued the country. This field mission to Libya would present an opportunity for the PSC to assess the transitional process in Libya and engage the various stakeholders on the reconciliation conference for which the AU took responsibility to organize.
For its fourth and final substantive session for the month of October, the PSC will consider the report of the Chairperson of the Commission on Counterterrorism. At its 957th session held on 20 October 2020, the PSC had decided to dedicate an annual session to assess the progress in the Continental efforts in combating the scourge of terrorism, radicalization, and violent extremism, as well as foreign terrorist fighters. The last time the Chairperson of the Commission presented a report to the PSC on Counterterrorism efforts was on 22 October 2021, at the 1040th ministerial level session of the PSC.
As indicated in the footnotes of the programme of work for October, during the month, the PSC will also be considering the provisional programme of work for November 2023 via email. The footnotes also envisage an informal consultation to be held on 13 October, between PSC member states and the Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security (PAPS).
Amani Africa wishes to express its gratitude to the Australian Embassy in Ethiopia for the support in the production of this Insight on the Monthly Programme of Work of the AU Peace and Security Council
Engagement with the UNHCR on post- Malabo Extraordinary Summit on Humanitarian Action
Engagement with the UNHCR on post- Malabo Extraordinary Summit on Humanitarian Action
Date | 28 September 2023
Tomorrow (29 September) the PSC is expected to convene its 1176th session on humanitarian action with an engagement with the United Nations (UN) High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) on the post-Malabo Extraordinary Summit.
Following opening remarks by Churchill Ewumbue-Monono, Permanent Representative of Cameroon to the AU and the Chairperson of the PSC for the month of September 2023, Minata Samate Cessouma, Commissioner for Health, Humanitarian Affairs and Social Development (HHS), is expected to make a presentation. The Chairperson of the PRC Subcommittee on Refugees, Returnees and Internally Displaced Persons is also expected to deliver a presentation to be followed by statements from representatives of UNHCR; the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA); the International Committee of Red Cross (ICRC) and Amani Africa Media and Research Services.
On 18 May 2023, the PSC held an open session on humanitarian action in Africa for its 1155th meeting where it expressed deep concern over the deteriorating humanitarian situation in various African regions, including Sudan, Somalia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Mali, Burkina Faso, and the Horn of Africa, Sahel, Lake Chad Basin, and Southern Africa. The PSC had also expressed concern about dwindling resources for effective responses and called for increased financial mobilization while commending Member states and RECs/RMs for their humanitarian assistance efforts and aiding affected populations. The issue of humanitarian access was also discussed, with the PSC calling on belligerent parties to adhere strictly to international humanitarian and human rights laws, ensure humanitarian access, and safeguard the security of aid agencies. The PSC also welcomed the adoption of the African Humanitarian Agency’s Statute in 2023, requesting its prompt operationalization and resource mobilization.
The humanitarian situation in Africa has increasingly become dire, with 30 million people in the continent being internally displaced persons, refugees or asylum-seekers, according to UNHCR figures. This dire situation is driven by a complex combination of factors, including violent conflicts, terrorism, inter-communal violence, unconstitutional changes of government, famine, and the increasing impact of climate change-related phenomena like crop failures, droughts, floods, landslides, and cyclones, forcing millions of people to flee their homes and livelihoods. Only recently, the earthquake in Morocco and the devastating floods in Libya have affected and claimed the lives of thousands of people. Faced with such reality, Africa’s prosperity and development continue to be threatened and realization of the aspirations of Agenda 2063 remain challenged.
It is expected that the central focus of tomorrow’s session will be to review the implementation of the outcomes of the 15th Extraordinary Session of the Assembly of the Union held in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, in May 2022, particularly regarding funding, institutional cooperation, and the 10-year AU Humanitarian Agenda.
Reflecting the importance of the outcomes of the humanitarian summit, during the 36th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the African Union, as a decision on the report on the activities of the PSC and the state of peace and security in Africa, the Assembly had “urged the PSC to prioritize the implementation of the outcomes of the 15th Extraordinary African Union Humanitarian Summit and Pledging held in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, in May 2022, to robustly respond to the pressing twin security issues of Unconstitutional Changes of Government (UCG) and the threat posed by terrorism and violent extremism”. At the Humanitarian Summit, AU Member States agreed to address common challenges and undertake actions towards the six declarations they made: on humanitarian challenges; on climate change, disasters and forced displacement in Africa; on food security and nutrition in humanitarian situations in Africa; on COVID-19 and health challenges in the humanitarian space in Africa; on post conflict reconstruction and development for refugees and internally displaced persons in Africa; and on resource mobilization and financing for humanitarian action in Africa.
One of the outcomes of the Malabo Summit, with its Statute adopted during 36th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the African Union in February 2023, was the creation of the African Humanitarian Agency (AfHA). Member States declared to allocate over USD176million to the AfHA to enable it to execute its strategic mandate. However, the collection of the entire amount pledged has yet to be effected. It is to be recalled that the PSC during its 1155th meeting on 18 May 2023 also “underlined the need for Member States to generously contribute to the AU Special Emergencies’ Fund and encouraged all Member States and partners who pledged support during the AU Extraordinary Humanitarian Summit and Pledging Conference, held in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea from 25 to 28 May 2022 to expeditiously redeem their pledges.”
Another follow up that could be discussed during the 1176th session is the status of developing the Plan of Action for implementing the outcomes of the Humanitarian Summit, which is to be prepared by the AU Commission. Aside from that, the PSC may also recall the 2019 Global Refugee Forum held in Geneva, when the AU, its Member States, the AU Commission as well as Regional Communities made wide-ranging pledges. In addition to following up on the implementation of these pledges, the PSC could urge Member States and the AU Commission to make a Pan-African pledge that is centered in the outcomes of the Malabo Declaration, at the second edition of the Global Refugee Forum expected to take place in December 2023, in Geneva.
Further to that, tomorrow’s briefing also presents an opportunity for the PSC to reflect on the various humanitarian challenges in the continent and to discuss ways forward for ensuring effective response and sustainable solutions to Africa’s growing humanitarian needs, despite the existing difficulties. To that end, the PSC’s discussion could bring the needed attention to the existing situations across the continent. One such instance is the situation in Sudan. In the past five months alone, the deadly conflict in Sudan that erupted on 11 April 2023 has forced over 3.3 million people to flee their homes to other parts of Sudan or neighboring countries such as Chad, South Sudan, Ethiopia, CAR, and Egypt. However, the PSC’s attention towards Sudan has been considerably low. Since April 2023, there were only two solely Sudan-focused sessions (1149th meeting on 16 April and 1156th meeting on 27 May). In addition, there have been three sessions where the PSC considered the situation in Sudan as part of its meetings with broader focus. For instance, on 26 April, the PSC held an informal consultation with countries in political transition, with Sudan being one of the four countries of concern. For its 1154th session on 16 May, the situation in Sudan was one of the two agenda items tabled for the consideration of the PSC. During the PSC’s 1158th session on 15 June, it received updated briefings on the situation in the Horn of Africa, Sudan forming one of the four contexts discussed. Further neglect of the situation in Sudan, which includes the atrocities and severe humanitarian crisis in reported in places such as Darfur, would not only be a missed opportunity for the PSC to demonstrate leadership in resolving the crisis, but also a failure to fulfill its main responsibilities of ensuring peace and security in the continent.
The expected outcome of the session is a Communiqué. The PSC may express deep concern over the escalating rate of humanitarian need in the continent as compared to the constraints and decline in humanitarian action. It may emphasize that conflicts and instability form the major factor that create and facilitate humanitarian suffering the continent and as such, call on all relevant actors to expend efforts towards realization of AU’s Roadmap for Silencing the Guns with its overarching objective of achieving a secure and peaceful Africa. Underscoring the critical role it is envisioned to play towards better coordinating humanitarian assistance in the continent, the PSC may also urge Member States to fulfil their pledges towards funding the AfHA. It may further urge the PRC sub-committees on structures and Finance as well as the AU Commission to expedite the operationalization of the AfHA. The PSC may also appeal to international partners to remain committed and to continue their humanitarian support to affected communities across the continent. It may also express alarm over the escalating violations of international humanitarian law, including deliberate attacks against civilians and obstacles to humanitarian access, attacks against public infrastructure and campsites hosting displaced populations and other violations that require accountability and proper action. Noting deteriorating humanitarian situations in conflict affected member states such as Sudan, the PSC may call on partners and all relevant actors to scale up support. It may further emphasize the need for strengthened engagement in humanitarian diplomacy and urge relevant civil society actors to fortify efforts in this respect.