Monthly Digest on The African Union Peace And Security Council - September 2025
Monthly Digest on The African Union Peace And Security Council - September 2025
Date | September 2025
In September 2025, under the chairship of Angola, the African Union (AU) Peace and Security Council (PSC) had a scheduled programme of work consisting of six substantive sessions covering six agenda items. All six planned sessions were convened, with one meeting held at Heads of State and Government level, one at ministerial-level and four at ambassadorial-level. Of the six agenda items, three focused on country- or region-specific situations, two addressed thematic issues.
Provisional Programme of Work of the PSC for November 2025
Provisional Programme of Work of the PSC for November 2025
Date | November 2025
In November, the Republic of Cameroon will assume the role of chairing the African Union (AU) Peace and Security Council (PSC). The month’s Provisional Programme of Work (PPoW) includes five substantive sessions. Two of the sessions will focus on thematic issues, while the remaining three will address country-specific situations, as well as an informal consultation with countries in political transition. The PPoW also envisages holding the 17th Annual Retreat of the PSC on the Review of its Working Methods and Abuja Lessons-learned Forum, from 6 to 9 November in Abuja, Nigeria. The PSC will also host the 8th Annual Consultative Meeting with the United Nations Peacebuilding Commission (UNPBC) during the month. All sessions are expected to take place at the ambassadorial level.
The PSC will begin the month with its 17th Annual Retreat on the Review of its Working Methods and Abuja Lessons Learned Forum, to be held in Abuja, Nigeria, from 6 to 9 November. It is expected that this year’s retreat will primarily focus on the Ad-hoc mechanisms established to enhance the effectiveness of the PSC, particularly in the implementation of its decisions. A new addition in this year’s retreat will be a mock PSC simulation featuring 15 university students, who will simulate the deliberations of PSC member states. After the retreat, the Abuja Lessons-Learned Forum on peace operations will be held.
On 11 November, the PSC will hold its first substantive session of the month, in an open format, focusing on Youth, Peace and Security (YPS) in Africa. This is a standing annual thematic agenda that the PSC decided to institutionalise as an annual session in November 2018. This session is expected to be held under the theme ‘Migration, Youth and Security,’ linking the monthly Chair’s regular focus on humanitarian issues with the YPS agenda. As Africa’s youth, deprived of opportunities at home by the web of extractive national and international governance systems, are the ones that are forced into migration often under conditions that endanger their security and lives, the focus on migration could be used to shed light on the intersection between migration and youth and peace and security in Africa.
On 13 November, the PSC will hold an informal consultation with countries in political transition, namely Burkina Faso, Guinea, Mali, Niger and Sudan. It is worth recalling that informal consultations with countries undergoing political transitions were added to the PSC’s working methods since April 2023, following its 14th Retreat on its working methods in November 2022. These consultations were introduced to enable direct engagement with representatives of countries suspended from AU activities due to unconstitutional changes of government, in accordance with Article 8(11) of the PSC Protocol. This session will seek to evaluate the progress achieved and challenges faced in the ongoing transition processes, while also examining how the PSC can more effectively support and contribute to the political normalisation of these Member States, building on its March 2025 session.
On 14 November, the Council will have a session on media, peace and security. This will be held in line with the commemoration of the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists, observed every 2 November. This year’s commemoration will be held under the theme of Chat GBV: Raising Awareness on AI-facilitated Gender-Based Violence against Women Journalists, highlighting ‘the threats women journalists face in the digital space and the chilling effect this can have on freedom of expression more broadly.’ This builds on the PSC’s inaugural session held in September 2024, dedicated to the protection of journalists in conflict situations. The 1230th PSC open session saw the Council tasking the AU Commission ‘to put in place comprehensive, forward-looking and action-oriented actions on the protection and safety of Journalists in times of armed conflict.’ In addition, the Council directed the AU Commission, in cooperation with the ACHPR, APRM, AUCIL and AU ECOSOCC, ‘to produce a comprehensive study on the legal, institutional and policy framework and map the protection of journalists and access to information in Africa.’ This year’s session on the protection of journalists is expected to focus on women journalists and the online attacks they face, which become particularly dangerous in times of crisis and conflict.
As part of the AU Post-Conflict Reconstruction and Development (PCRD) Awareness Raising Week from 17 to 21 November, the PSC is scheduled to convene a session on the launch of the PCRD week and consider the report of the Chairperson of the AU Commission on PCRD on 17 November. On the same day, the Council will also hold a joint meeting with the UN Peacebuilding Commission (UNPBC). Related to PCRD, the Joint Statement adopted during the last joint consultations, the 7th, the two bodies emphasised the role of the PBC in convening stakeholders and garnering international support, as well as the role of the AU in implementing and advancing PCRD policy, noting that ‘strengthened cooperation between the AUC-PCRD in Cairo and the UN Peacebuilding Support Office, in the Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs (PBSO/DPPA), is essential for implementing the AU-UN MoU on Peacebuilding.’ The two are also expected to exchange on the ongoing UN’s Peacebuilding Architecture Review. Recalling AU’s contribution to the last Peacebuilding Architecture Review, in the previous 7th Joint Annual Consultations, the PBC ‘invited the AUPSC to again contribute to the review in 2025,’ and to this end, the two bodies called for the ‘implementation of the remaining tasks emanating from the Joint Annual AUPSC and PBC meetings.’ It is expected that this year’s meeting may follow on the agreement that ‘their annual consultative meetings should be preceded by at least one preparatory meeting of the experts of the AUPSC and PBC to examine the status of implementation of agreed commitments and sundry issues.’
On 19 November, the Council will convene for a briefing on the Situation in the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Despite the openings that the diplomatic initiatives involving the Washington and Doha agreements provide for progress, the situation on the ground remains unchanged – dominated by fighting involving M23 and the DRC forces, proxy confrontations, competition over minerals like coltan and weak state authority. The last meeting the PSC discussed this file was in February 2025 during its 1261st meeting held at the summit level. The agenda was also included in the provisional programme of work for March 2025 under the topic ‘Briefing on the Matrix Relating to the Situation in Eastern DRC’; however, it did not take place. This meeting comes as France is set to host a peace conference on the African Great Lakes. The French president, in coordination with Togo, the AU mediator, plans to host the conference in Paris on 30 October, and between 50 to 70 countries and international organisations are expected to attend, which will mostly be closed-door.
On 21 November, the PSC will receive an update on the Situation in the Lake Chad Basin. The session is expected to provide an update on the security and humanitarian situation in the region. In the 1282nd PSC meeting held in June 2025, Council requested the AU Commission ‘to enhance its support to and collaboration with the LCBC in the implementation of the revised Five-Year RS-SRR.’ This came after it was highlighted that ‘despite the sustained efforts being deployed by the LCBC and MNJTF, Boko Haram remains an existential threat to peace and security in the Lake Chad Basin and the wider region.’ The gravity of this threat has not diminished, and the MNJTF has not been able to break this status quo. At the same time, the emergence of developments weakening the MNJTF and persisting vulnerabilities due to climate, security and governance fragilities are fast bringing the MNJTF to a turning point.
The last session of the month will be an open session on Children Affected by Armed Conflicts, to be held on 28 November. The last time the PSC discussed this theme was in July 2025 during its 1290th meeting, in which, among other things, it reiterated the importance of ‘the operationalisation of the Banjul Process as a key initiative to sustain high-level advocacy, coordination and knowledge-sharing on the protection of children affected by armed conflict.’ This meeting also comes a few days after the commemoration of World Children’s Day, which is celebrated on 20 November.
In addition to the foregoing activities, the PPoW envisages, in the footnote, the 7th EU-AU Summit, to be held on 24 to 25 November in Luanda, Angola and the AU Summit on AU Reforms to be held on 26 November 2025 in Luanda, Angola.
Women, Peace and Security in Africa: 25 years of UNSCR 1325
Women, Peace and Security in Africa: 25 years of UNSCR 1325
Date | 29 October 2025
Tomorrow (30 October), the African Union (AU) Peace and Security Council (PSC) will convene its 1309th open session virtually on Women, Peace and Security in Africa: 25 years of UNSCR.
Following opening remarks by Tebelelo Boang, Permanent Representative of Botswana to the AU and Chair of the PSC for October 2025, Bankole Adeoye, AU Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security (PAPS), will deliver the introductory statement. Liberata Mulamula, Special Envoy of the Chairperson of the AU Commission on Women, Peace and Security (WPS), is also expected to brief the Council on the progress of implementing the WPS agenda. Statements are also expected from Justice Effie Owuor, Co-Chair of FemWise-Africa; a representative of UN Women; a representative of the Delegation of the European Union to the AU; and representatives of the Regional Economic Communities and Regional Mechanisms (RECs/RMs).
As the AU marks the 25th anniversary of United Nations Security Council (UNSC) Resolution 1325 (2000), this session provides a forum to review results, address persistent gaps and set a practical course for implementation. It comes fifteen years after the PSC institutionalised annual deliberations on WPS at its 223rd meeting in March 2010. The Council may assess performance over this period, identify obstacles to effective delivery and agree on corrective actions.
The Council last considered the agenda in March 2025 at its 1268th meeting. On that occasion, Council underlined ‘the need to advocate for the implementation of the UNSC Resolution 1325, which addresses the impact of armed conflict on women and emphasises the importance of women’s participation in peace and security efforts.’ The Council also ‘underscored the need for the AU Commission to carry out an assessment’ to assist Member States in advancing national policy and stressed ‘the need to establish clear indicators and robust monitoring and evaluation mechanisms’ to enable regular reporting on commitments.
This year additionally marks the 15th anniversary of the PSC decision to institutionalise the WPS agenda. In tomorrow’s session, the Council may review the progress registered in advancing the WPS within the framework of the AU and the persisting challenges. The Special Envoy on WPS, established in 2014, serves as the lead and anchor of the effort for advancing the WPS agenda within the AU. It has helped initiate measures and institutional frameworks to advance women’s inclusion across peace support operations (PSOs), election observation and mediation. Developed through the Special Envoy on WPS, the Continental Results Framework (CRF) is the principal roadmap for tracking commitments across four pillars: participation, prevention, protection and relief and recovery; covering National Action Plans (NAPs) now adopted by 37 Member States, the growth of regional women’s mediation networks and recognition of women’s leadership in peace processes. A June 2025 high-level workshop on ‘Reinvigorate CRF Monitoring’ recommended a simplified digital reporting tool, biennial reporting, real-time feedback loops, harmonised AU reporting timelines and the use of CRF reports to inform policymaking and budget allocations.
Established in 2017, FemWise Africa and the African Women Leaders Network (AWLN) advance mediation and the promotion of women’s leadership, respectively. FemWise Africa, a subsidiary mechanism of the AU Panel of the Wise, identifies, trains and deploys women mediators in AU peace efforts and election observation processes, while AWLN increases women’s participation in decision making through peer learning, mentoring, solidarity, advocacy and capacity building.
Despite the emphasis on Resolution 1325, the WPS agenda has a strong normative foundation in the AU legal instruments. The Maputo Protocol (2003) aligns with and advances obligations consistent with Resolution 1325, with Articles 10–11 requiring participation in peace processes and protection in situations of conflict. The AU Solemn Declaration on Gender Equality in Africa (2004) is a pledge by Heads of State to accelerate women’s rights and parity across governance, peace and security, education, health and economic life, with annual reporting to track progress. The AU Strategy for Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment (2018 to 2028) aligns Agenda 2063 and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to mainstream gender equality across AU organs and Member States, prioritising dignity and security, effective laws and institutions, economic empowerment and leadership and voice. The AU Policy on the Prevention of and Response to Sexual Exploitation and Abuse in Peace Support Operations (2018) establishes zero tolerance and a survivor-centred system with vetting, mandatory training, confidential reporting, immediate support services and clear accountability, including investigations, repatriations, sanctions and referrals for national prosecution. And, the recent AU Convention on Ending Violence Against Women and Girls (2025) further reinforces existing legal guarantees, requiring states to prevent, protect, prosecute and provide survivor-centred support for all forms of violence, including cyberviolence and femicide, complements the Maputo Protocol.
In view of the foregoing, the session may deliberate on prioritising the concrete operationalisation of existing instruments, anchored in a forward-looking implementation strategy and tested by a rigorous stocktake of how deliberations have translated into practice. As recorded in Amani Africa’s special research report, the Council’s deliberations called for action on five priority issues: accountability that ends impunity and expands access to justice for women; meaningful representation across prevention, mediation, PSOs and post conflict reconstruction; attention to structural gender disparities and other drivers of conflict; formal institutionalisation of the agenda; and the systematic deployment of gender advisers. Yet outputs remain largely programmatic and weakly tied to measurable targets, time-bound delivery and independent review. Although the AU is positioned as a global leader in policy architecture, credibility now rests on converting commitments into measurable gains for citizens, articulating coherent African positions and mobilising Member States and civil society through implementation.
Critical review of the realities shows that the major gap has nothing to do with a lack of normative, policy and institutional frameworks but the lack of implementation and disregard of the commitments thereunder. Instruments to prevent and mitigate sexual and gender-based violence (GBV) in PSOs have yielded limited protection gains; declarations to end impunity are rarely paired with conflict-sensitive monitoring, adequate investigative capacity or accountability pathways with clear, realistic timelines. Gender analysis is inconsistently integrated into briefings, situation reports and mandate renewals and findings from the Office of the Special Envoy’s field missions seldom inform corresponding country and regional deliberations. Follow-through is uneven and senior-level ownership is fragile, while conflicts continue to target civilians, including the strategic use of sexual violence as warfare, terrorism and torture. The most recent Windhoek+25 Declaration urges bold action to ‘bridge persistent gaps’, an ‘intergenerational imperative’ to sustain gains, use of regional strategies and NAPs for implementation and review, and alignment of ‘political will, institutional reform and societal transformation’ grounded in unity, resilience and inclusion. In the same vein, on 31 July 2025 in Benin, the Cotonou Meeting reviewed implementation and urged accelerated responses to ‘climate insecurity, digital threats, and persistent gender inequalities’, ‘terrorism, climate-related insecurity, gender-based violence’, and the ‘weaponisation of digital technologies’.
For Council deliberation, a notable finding from the UN Secretary-General’s 2025 WPS report is that approximately 676 million women lived within 50 kilometres of deadly conflict in 2024, the highest level since the 1990s. Rising global military spending and an evident backlash against gender equality are straining the WPS agenda. Funding shortfalls are closing clinics, shrinking food aid and cutting education in Somalia, the DRC and the Sahel (including Mali). Protracted crises across the Sahel, Great Lakes and Horn of Africa disproportionately expose women and girls to GBV, displacement and marginalisation. In Ethiopia, the World Food Programme (WFP) cut refugee rations from 60 per cent to 40 per cent due to shortages. Without new funds, programmes for breastfeeding women and malnourished children will end in December 2025. In Somalia, women and children, who face heightened risks of GBV, sexual exploitation and eviction, accounted for more than 80 per cent of the displaced population. In South Sudan, violence is at the highest level since the 2017 cessation of hostilities, with women and girls often targeted. In El-Fashir, Sudan, reports indicate that 38 per cent of pregnant and breastfeeding women are malnourished. In its 2025 open letter to UN permanent representatives, the NGO Working Group on WPS underscores that the agenda’s norms remain far from realised and condemns the escalating backlash against women’s autonomy, rights and the advocates who defend them.
Tomorrow’s meeting is also expected to put women’s meaningful participation in peace processes front and center, heeding the Swakopmund Process Conclusions of 23 March 2024 that call for gender parity across all AU led and co-led mediation tracks. Such a policy should guide the selection and appointment of mediators, technical experts and special envoys, embed gender analysis in terms of reference and set measurable participation targets at every stage. Yet women remain underrepresented, particularly in high-stakes negotiations and security sector reform processes. With inadequate commitments, shrinking resources and efforts to roll back protection measures, obligations under the CRF and NAPs are under-enforced. Although the AU endorses a gender-parity policy for AU-led mediation and a 30 per cent minimum quota for women’s participation in peace missions and processes, accountability and regular reporting mechanisms are lacking. UN data from 2020 to 2024 show women’s participation in peace processes stayed far below targets. In 2024, women were 7 per cent of negotiators and 14 per cent of mediators; nearly 90 per cent of negotiation tracks and about two-thirds of mediation efforts had no women. Although Africa hosts many UN peace operations, including in the DRC and South Sudan, women still make up a small share of peacekeepers globally: 6.4 per cent of military personnel and 12 per cent of police personnel as of 2023. In light of this, the PSC may shift the focus towards identifying specific interventions for advancing the level of women’s participation in peace processes and periodic monitoring and reporting on trends in this respect.
The expected outcome of tomorrow’s session is a communique. The Council may call for clear, realistic roadmaps and a pivot from norm setting to implementation, prioritising systematic integration of the WPS agenda across the conflict continuum from prevention to post-conflict. Member States may be urged to embed the agenda in national and local processes, and those without NAPs to adopt costed plans with meaningful participation of women, youth and grassroots groups. In terms of protection, the PSC may request the AU Commission to mainstream update on WPS in briefings and reports of conflict situations submitted to the PSC and task the Special Envoy to monitor, track and document violations against women in conflict and crisis situations in Africa and prepare a dedicated annual report on the same. The PSC is expected to condemn conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV) and reiterate the need for full and effective participation of women in early warning, prevention, mediation and dialogue, backed by adequate, predictable and sustained financing. It may seek concrete steps to implement the 30 per cent quota at the AU, REC/RM and national levels. It may encourage well-resourced national and regional FemWise chapters to expand the pool of women peace experts. It may press for stronger delivery across the four pillars and for integrating climate risks into implementation strategies. It may underline the coordinating role of the Office of the Special Envoy on WPS.
CGTN: "Africa’s early role and enduring struggles in the UN"
CGTN: "Africa’s early role and enduring struggles in the UN"
October 25, 2025
Update on the Situation in South Sudan
Update on the Situation in South Sudan
Date | 27 October 2025
Tomorrow (28 October), the African Union (AU) Peace and Security Council (PSC) will convene its 1308th session to receive an update on the situation in South Sudan.
The meeting will be chaired by Tebelelo Boang, Permanent Representative of Botswana to the AU and the Chairperson of the PSC for October. Bankole Adeoye, AU Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security (PAPS) will make the introductory remarks. Statements are then expected to be delivered by representatives from South Sudan; South Africa (as Chairperson of the AU Ad Hoc High-Level Committee on South Sudan (C5); Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD); Chairperson of the Reconstituted Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (R-JMEC); and the representative of the United Nations Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS). The most recent engagement of the PSC on South Sudan took place during its 1302nd session, held on 19 September 2025. However, the session did not introduce any substantively new or different measures compared to the Council’s previous communiques on South Sudan. During that session, the Council issued a press release urging the Revitalised Transitional Government of National Unity (R-TGoNU) to redouble its efforts toward the full implementation of the Revitalised Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan (R-ARCSS). The PSC also called for the organisation of a genuine, “all-inclusive South Sudanese national political dialogue leading to a national reconciliation process that would culminate in the successful conduct of democratic elections in December 2026”.
Since early 2025, the PSC’s engagements on South Sudan (1297th, 1283rd, 1270th, and 1265th Sessions) have unfolded amid escalating political and security instability. Since clashes erupted in March between the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF) and armed groups linked to the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-in-Opposition (SPLM-IO), the fragile peace established under the Revitalised Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan (R-ARCSS) has been severely undermined. This incident triggered the most serious crisis since the signing of the 2018 peace agreement, with hostilities spreading across Upper Nile, Jonglei, Unity States, Central Equatoria, and Western Equatoria, causing extensive civilian displacement and loss of life.
The political and security situation in South Sudan has sharply deteriorated following the detention of senior officials, mainly First Vice President Riek Machar; the emergence of splinter factions; the deployment of Ugandan troops; and intensified military operations by the SSPDF against SPLM/A-IO and allied groups. Machar’s arrest effectively paralysed the RTGoNU, which the PSC previously described as a ‘blatant violation of the R-ARCSS.’ The crisis further escalated when Machar and eight other senior members of the SPLM/A-IO were charged on 11 September with murder, treason, crimes against humanity, and other serious offences linked to a White Army attack in Nasir County. Subsequently, Machar was temporarily suspended from the vice presidency pending his trial. Since Machar was placed under house arrest, multiple envoys seeking to meet Machar, including former Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga in March and a delegation from the AU in April, have reportedly been denied access. As such, it is expected that during tomorrow’s session, the PSC is expected to receive an update on detention and legal processes concerning Riek Machar and other SPLM-IO detainees.
Beyond Machar’s detention, a series of political manoeuvres by President Kiir has further consolidated executive power while weakening coalition inclusivity. Since March, Kiir has undertaken extensive reshuffles by presidential decree, replacing senior officials, including the Chief of Defence Forces, the Chief Justice, the Central Bank Governor, and several state governors, moves the SPLM/A-IO has condemned as unilateral. The appointment of his daughter, Adut Salva Kiir, to a senior position has fueled perceptions of growing nepotism and entrenched patronage within the government, raising concerns about governance legitimacy and the monopolisation of state institutions by loyalist networks. Furthermore, President Kiir’s reconstitution of the high-level ad hoc committee overseeing the implementation of the R-ARCSS, which excluded former SPLM/A-IO representatives and instead incorporated members aligned with the Par Kuol splinter faction, has raised significant concern. The committee is mandated to oversee the implementation of all aspects of the R-ARCSS, except for provisions related to the permanent ceasefire and transitional security arrangements. Observers note that this move appears to signal an attempt to reshape the peace architecture in favour of the SPLM’s political dominance.
These political manoeuvres by President Kiir have significantly heightened tensions, triggering intense clashes between government forces and opposition groups, particularly in Upper Nile, Jonglei, Central Equatoria, and Western Equatoria, and resulting in substantial casualties and widespread displacement. The humanitarian situation has consequently worsened, with the UN (OCHA) reporting that, in addition to the existing two million internally displaced persons, more than 497,000 people were newly displaced between January and September 2025, approximately 321,000 due to conflict and 175,000 due to flooding. In response, the UN Human Rights Commission has urged the African Union and the UN Security Council to take decisive action to prevent further escalation. UNMISS, on the other hand, has reported increasing restrictions on humanitarian access and attacks on aid workers, warning of a potential collapse of life-saving services in the most affected regions. Exacerbating these challenges, according to OHCHR, systemic corruption among South Sudanese leaders continues to undermine governance and humanitarian interventions, deepening the crisis. It is therefore expected that the PSC’s deliberations will focus on the severe humanitarian repercussions resulting from the escalating political and security crisis.
Another key issue expected in tomorrow’s session, in view of the foregoing conditions, is the implementation of the R-ARCSS amid worsening humanitarian and governance conditions. In previous sessions, the PSC has also emphasised that the R-ARCSS remains the only viable framework for lasting peace, calling for investigations into violations of the R-ARCSS and warning that peace spoilers will be held accountable. The Revitalised Joint Monitoring Evaluation Commission (RJMEC), body monitoring the R-ARCSS, reported during the reporting period that the country faces a serious and growing risk of the unravelling of the 2018 peace agreement and relapse back to full-blown war. In the report it released this month, the Commission urged the RTGoNU to ‘urgently resolve the current political and security impasse and return to full and inclusive implementation of the R-ARCSS.’ Given the clear warning on the fast-growing risk of the deteriorating situation plunging the country back to large-scale national civil war, the PSC is expected to receive updates on the imminency of the risk and the ways and means and opportunities for reversing this risk.
On 11–12 August, the PSC conducted a field visit to South Sudan to assess the deteriorating political and security situation, review progress on the R-ARCSS, and discuss preparations for the 2026 elections. On 7 October, the RJMEC held an extraordinary meeting in Juba, warning that rising tensions and stalled implementation had increased the risk of a relapse into conflict unless urgent corrective action is taken. On 12 September, the UN Security Council(UNSC) unanimously adopted Resolution 2791 (2025), extending the Sudan sanctions regime, including targeted sanctions and the arms embargo, along with the mandate of the Panel of Experts until 12 October 2026, to align both timelines. Subsequently, on 13 October, the AU Commission Chairperson appointed Abdiwelli Ali as the AU Special Representative and Head of Mission to South Sudan, while important it does not dispense with the PSC’s earlier June call for the AU Chairperson’s sustained engagement with President Salva Kiir and regional leaders, fostering inclusive dialogue, facilitating the release of political detainees, and promoting full implementation of the R-ARCSS.
In tomorrow’s session, the PSC is also expected to follow up on its previous decisions aimed at advancing the implementation of key transitional provisions of the R-ARCSS. Specifically, the Council will likely assess progress on its earlier encouragement to the Trilateral Mechanism (AU, IGAD, and UN) to work closely with the RTGoNU in reactivating the Government–Trilateral Joint Task Force (JTF) to expedite the implementation of pending provisions, including the constitution-making and electoral processes. Furthermore, the PSC is expected to review the extent of progress made in operationalising transitional justice mechanisms, following its reiterated call for the RTGoNU to collaborate with the AU Commission’s Office of the Legal Counsel (OLC) in finalising the guidelines for establishing the Hybrid Court of South Sudan and defining modalities for truth, reconciliation, compensation, and reparation processes.
The expected outcome is a communique. The PSC is expected to express concern on the deteriorating political and humanitarian conditions and condemn continued violations of the R-ARCSS. It may also condemn the violence against civilians and humanitarian workers and call for credible investigations and accountability mechanisms. The PSC may also express concern over the stalled implementation status of the R-ARCSS. In this regard, the Council is expected to call for the acceleration of transitional security arrangements, particularly the unification and deployment of the Necessary Unified Forces, as well as institutional preparations for the election. Furthermore, the Council may reiterate that the R-ARCSS remains the most viable framework for sustainable peace and stability in South Sudan and may urge both parties to recommit to the permanent ceasefire and transitional roadmap. The PSC could also call for the release of all political detainees, restoration of political dialogue, and full reactivation of the Ceasefire and Transitional Security Arrangements Monitoring and Verification Mechanism (CTSAMVM) to ensure compliance with the ceasefire. The PSC may echo RJMEC’s call on the RTGoNU to urgently resolve the current political and security impasse and return to full and inclusive implementation of the R-ARCSS. In addition, the PSC may reiterate its request for the AU Commission to maintain sustained engagement, including possibly appointing a High-Level Envoy to work jointly with IGAD, the C5, and the Trilateral Mechanism to facilitate direct dialogue between Kiir and Machar.
Briefing by the International Committee for the Red Cross (ICRC) on its Activities and the Humanitarian Situation in Africa
Briefing by the International Committee for the Red Cross (ICRC) on its Activities and the Humanitarian Situation in Africa
Date | 23 October 2025
Tomorrow (24 October), the African Union (AU) Peace and Security Council (PSC) is expected to convene for its 1307th session to receive a briefing from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) on its activities and the humanitarian situation in Africa.
Following opening remarks by Tebelelo Boang, Permanent Representative of Botswana to the AU and the Chairperson of the PSC for October 2025, Bankole Adeoye, the Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security (PAPS), is expected to deliver a statement. Dr Gilles Carbonnier, ICRC Vice-President, is expected to brief the Council. Ambassador Amma Adomaa Twum-Amoah, Commissioner for Health, Humanitarian Affairs and Social Development, and Ambassador Churchill Ewumbue-Monono, Permanent Representative of Cameroon to the AU, are also expected to make statements.
Tomorrow’s briefing is expected to present an update on current trends in the humanitarian situation across the continent. The discussion will include country-specific assessments, with a particular focus on Sudan, South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Somalia and the Sahel. In addition to highlighting major ongoing crises, the session will examine the underlying factors and dynamics driving the worsening conditions. It will also provide an opportunity to spotlight the key challenges hindering effective humanitarian action and the sustainable resolution of these crises.
The last time the ICRC briefed the PSC was at the PSC’s 1239th meeting held on 29 October 2024, in which, among other decisions, reiterated the request for the AU Commission, ‘in consultation with the UN humanitarian Agencies and other key partners, to redouble resource mobilization efforts, in order to ensure the provision of adequate and flexible funding for humanitarian action in Africa, as well as for the AU Commission to undertake a comprehensive study, identifying the financial shortfalls and make concrete and practicable proposals on how to address the financial challenges for meeting Africa’s humanitarian needs.’
In Sudan, as of early September 2025, a devastating landslide in Tarasin, located in the Marrah Mountains of Central Darfur, reportedly claimed over 1000 lives, with a Sudan Liberation Movement/Army (SLM/A) official reporting on 4 September that 370 bodies had been recovered and buried. The region is grappling with compounded crises, as famine grips areas like El-Fasher and the nearby Zamzam displacement camp, where the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have trapped approximately 260,000 civilians, including 130,000 children. The World Food Programme highlighted the dire situation, noting that 24.6 million people—about half of Sudan’s population—are facing acute food shortages, with 637,000 enduring catastrophic levels of hunger. Compounding the crisis, the ICRC, in mid-September 2025, reported that Sudan is experiencing its worst cholera outbreak in years, driven by war-ravaged infrastructure, with over 5000 cases of malaria, typhoid and dengue fever, alongside dozens of deaths, reported in one area of the capital in the past month. Meanwhile, the desperation to flee the conflict has led to further tragedy, with at least 50 Sudanese refugees perishing after their vessel caught fire in the Mediterranean Sea.
In South Sudan, a rapidly shifting political landscape and worsening humanitarian crises are creating an alarming situation. According to UNOCHA, as of September 2025, severe challenges – including flooding, food insecurity, violence and disease outbreaks – continue to devastate communities. Floods have affected over 639,000 people across 26 counties in six states, with Jonglei and Unity hit hardest. Meanwhile, ongoing conflict in Upper Nile, Jonglei, Central Equatoria and Western Equatoria has driven mass displacement, with 497,000 people newly displaced between January and September 2025 – 321,000 due to conflict and 175,000 due to flooding. Recent clashes in Western Equatoria alone displaced tens of thousands, including nearly 21,000 from Nagero County to nearby villages. Compounding these challenges, multiple disease outbreaks, such as cholera (93,200 cases, 1565 deaths across 55 counties), anthrax, hepatitis E and mpox, continue to strain communities.
DRC, on the other hand, is grappling with a complex humanitarian crisis driven by conflict and natural disasters, resulting in widespread internal displacement. According to a recent IOM report, approximately 4.9 million Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) were recorded in the DRC as of September 2025, a 2% decrease since August. Conflict, particularly in eastern provinces like North Kivu, accounts for 85% of displacements, with the advance of the M23 armed group in early 2025 triggering new and repeated displacements in existing camps. Natural disasters, such as flooding, contribute to the remaining 15%. Meanwhile, repatriation efforts are showing progress, with 5.2 million IDP returnees recorded, representing a 4% increase since August 2025. Beyond displacement, conflict and disasters in regions like South Kivu and Ituri continue to exacerbate the crisis, driving UNHCR’s estimate that 27 million people will need humanitarian assistance in 2025.
In the Sahel region, escalating violence, armed conflict and climate shocks have intensified a humanitarian crisis, displacing millions and devastating livelihoods. According to UNOCHA’s September 2025 Humanitarian Overview, 31.3 million people urgently need aid and protection in 2025. The region hosts 5.7 million IDPs and 2.4 million refugees. However, funding shortages – with only 18% of the required $4.9 billion secured – have forced humanitarian organisations to prioritise support for 10.4 million of the most vulnerable, down from 20.6 million previously targeted. Aggravating the situation, a cholera outbreak is spreading across West and Central Africa, with over 1,600 cases and 52 deaths reported in Nigeria. Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger and Mauritania remain at high risk.
In Somalia’s northern and eastern regions, severe drought due to poor rainfall from April to June has worsened food insecurity, water scarcity and pasture shortages, driving increased pastoralist migration, according to UN agencies and local authorities. Compounding this crisis, nearly 142,000 people – 81% in the Banadir region – have been evicted from temporary shelters since January 2025, severely disrupting community stability. Further escalating concerns, a diphtheria outbreak threatens children, with the Federal Ministry of Health reporting 2,109 suspected cases and 99 deaths (a 5 % case fatality ratio) across 10 health facilities between January and August 2025. Most cases involve unvaccinated individuals over five years old, with infections surging fourfold compared to 2024.
Of importance to tomorrow’s deliberations will also be the humanitarian impact of Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) and Explosive Weapons in Populated Areas (EWIPA). The discussion is expected to address critical concerns regarding the means and methods of warfare, both new and longstanding. Despite decades of progress and growing consensus on the need to universalise humanitarian disarmament treaties to minimise civilian casualties and the human cost of conflict, there remains a significant risk of regression. Recent developments concerning the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention (APMBC) are particularly concerning, with some States considering withdrawal, which could undermine years of hard-won achievements. It is worth recalling that the PSC, in April 2025, held its 1271st session dedicated to the theme of Mine Action, in which it reiterated its call ‘for the establishment of a continental mechanism for mine action…’ This also saw the AU Commission being tasked ‘to continue sensitizing Member States in promoting a better understanding of the humanitarian impacts of explosive weapons, including landmines and cluster munitions in populated areas, as well as the importance of EWIPA Political Declaration and the policy and practical changes it seeks to generate,’ and in this context, encouraged Member States that have not yet done so, to endorse the EWIPA Political Declaration.
Relatedly, the humanitarian impact of digital technologies in armed conflict cannot go unmentioned. The rise of autonomous weapons, AI, surveillance systems and combat drones in African conflicts is transforming warfare. International Humanitarian Law (IHL) applies to these technologies, setting limits to protect civilians and infrastructure from harm, including digital threats. Understanding their legal, ethical and humanitarian implications is critical for action.
Finally, it is worth noting that the ICRC recently launched the Global IHL Initiative in collaboration with six other states – including Brazil, China, France, Jordan, Kazakhstan and South Africa – to ‘galvanise political commitment to IHL.’ With South Africa notably leading as a co-founder, the initiative prioritises IHL politically, develops actionable recommendations across seven workstreams – co-chaired by African states including Algeria, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria and Sierra Leone – and adapts IHL to modern warfare’s rapid evolution. Several African Member States have joined, with hopes that more will participate with the Council’s support, culminating in a High-Level Meeting in 2025 to promote humanity in conflict.
The expected outcome of the session is a communiqué. The PSC may express concern over the escalating humanitarian crises across Africa, particularly highlighting the combined impact of armed conflicts, violent extremism, climate-driven extreme weather and epidemics. Council may condemn attacks by conflict parties on humanitarian workers, medical facilities, civilians and civilian infrastructure. Council may also highlight the imperative of the establishment, protection and expansion of the necessary humanitarian space, especially in the countries affected by conflict, which extends to the protection of critical infrastructure. Council is also expected to highlight the critical importance of ensuring compliance with international humanitarian law by all parties to the conflict to address escalating crises. The PSC may call upon parties to conflicts to implement practical measures to ensure civilian protection and unimpeded humanitarian access, including the protection of and access to schools and other learning institutions.
