In November 2020, Ethiopia will assume the role of chairing the African Union (AU) Peace and Security Council (PSC). The provisional programme of work as prepared under the leadership of Ethiopia’s Permanent Representative to the AU Ambassador Tesfaye Yilma, envisages a total of seven sessions, including three focusing on country/region specific agendas.

The first session of the month scheduled to take place virtually on 3 November will be focusing on the situation in Libya. The session is expected to look at the developments in the situation since the last time the PSC met on Libya on 27 September at its 833^rd session. Most recent developments including the signing of a UN initiated Permanent Ceasefire Agreement on 23 October 2020 are also expected to feature.

The second session of the month is expected to be a briefing by the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) scheduled to take place on November 5. It is to be recalled that at its last session on the APRM, which took place on 5 March 2020 at Council’s 914^th meeting, the PSC decided to convene twice a year to receive briefings from the APRM. Therefore, November’s session will be the second APRM briefing of 2020, in line with PSC’s decision. The upcoming session is expected to follow up on items identified in the previous session. The session will be taking place through VTC.

On 9 November, the PSC will consider and adopt its programme of work for the month of December, which will be circulated via email to all PSC Member States, for their comments and feedback.

On 12 November, PSC’s session dedicated to the theme “Youth, Peace and Security” is expected to take place. The session is expected to be an open session, to be conducted through VTC. In line with AU’s theme for the year 2020, the specific focus of the session will be on “advancing youth roles and capacities for silencing the guns in Africa”. This is expected to take stock of the activities undertaken within the framework of the Youth, Peace and Security including in respect to advocacy and mobilization of the youth on the theme of the year.

The following week, the PSC is expected to convene a session on 17 November, to discuss the status of implementation of the “AU Master Roadmap for Practical Steps to Silence the Guns in Africa by Year 2020” and the “AU Theme of the Year 2020: Silencing the Guns in Africa – Creating Conducive Conditions for Africa’s Development”. The session may provide an overview of the theme of the year and it may also reflect on the revision of the Master Roadmap, as 2020 is coming to an end. It is also to be recalled that preparations are underway for the convening of an extraordinary summit dedicated to the theme of the year in December. The session will take place through VTC.

On 19 November, PSC is expected to have a VTC session on the protection of children in conflict situations in Africa. The session is expected to address the vulnerability of children in conflict affected African States also in relation to the COVID-19 related exacerbating factors.

The PSC is also expected to receive a virtual briefing session on the situation in Abyei on 24 November. This session is expected to explore the impact of the political changes in Sudan and South Sudan on Abyei area and on the critical role of the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA).

The last PSC session of the month is expected to take place on 26 November. The session will be dedicated to a discussion on the situation in the Horn of Africa, with a specific focus on how to best support the transitions in Somalia, Sudan and South Sudan. The session is expected to shed light on the positive developments in the countries and on mechanisms to further strengthen ongoing efforts to consolidate stability and development. This session too will be conducted through VTC.

In addition to these agenda items, the provisional program of work indicates in footnotes possible meeting to consider the Special Report of the Chairperson of the Commission and the Secretary-General of the United Nations on the UNAMID and follow-on presence.

For the month of October 2020, Egypt will assume the role of chairing the African Union (AU) Peace and Security Council (PSC). Prepared under the leadership of Egypt’s Permanent Representative to the AU Ambassador Osama Abdel Khalek, the provisional program of work of the PSC for the month envisages some eight substantive sessions including one country specific session.

The first session of the month, scheduled for 5 October, is an open session on the implementation and commemoration of the UN Security Council Resolution 1325. The session will be commemorating the 20^th anniversary of the adoption of the Resolution. The meeting is expected to take place through VTC. This would be the first VCT session of the PSC that will be fully open since the PSC started operating virtually since April 2020.

On 6 October the PSC is expected to consider the report of the Chairperson of the Commission on the situation in Sudan. The report is expected to provide an update on the overall political situation, the evolution of the transition including the peace process launched following the establishment of the transitional government and the economic situation as well as the progress towards removing Sudan from the US list of states sponsoring terrorism.

The annual consultative meeting with the African Commission on Human and People’s Rights (ACHPR) is scheduled to take place on 8 October. It is to be recalled that the first consultative meeting with the ACHPR was held in August 2019 in accordance with Article 19 of the PSC Protocol. The meeting is scheduled to take place through VTC.

On the same day, the PSC will tentatively hold a preparatory session on the upcoming AUPSC/EUPSC 5^th informal seminar and 13^th Annual Joint Consultative meeting. The meeting is expected to take place through VTC.

On 9 October the PSC will consider and adopt its program of work for the month of November. The draft provisional program of work will be circulated to all PSC member states through email for input and comments.

On 15 October the PSC is scheduled to consider and adopt the ‘Cairo Roadmap on Enhancing Peacekeeping Operations: from Mandate to Exit’. The Roadmap was adopted at the 12^th ordinary meeting of the Specialized Technical Committee on Defence, Safety and Security, in Cairo in December 2019. The session is expected to focus on strengthening the role of troop contributing countries in decision-making and in shaping the mandate of UN mandated peacekeeping missions. The report and statements to the meeting will be circulated to all PSC members through email and it is expected that the outcome will be finalized through the silence procedure.

The following day, October 16 the PSC will hold a discussion on the establishment of the Special Unit for Counter-Terrorism within the framework of the African Standby Force (ASF). The meeting is expected to take place through VTC. The issues expected to feature in this meeting include the form that such unit take, its requirements and how it is expected to operate.

On 19 October, the PSC will continue its preparatory meeting for the upcoming PSC and EUPSC informal seminar and joint consultative meeting, which are scheduled to take place on 26 October. The meeting will take place through VTC.

On 20 October, the PSC is expected to hold a discussion on the impact of Foreign Terrorist Fighters (FTF) on Peace and Security in Africa. The session is expected to explore mechanism on preventions and mitigating the spread of FTF and their operation in the continent. The session is envisaged to take place through VTC.

On 23 October, the PSC is expected to consider two agenda items. The first is the discussion on Post-Conflict Reconstruction and Development (PCRD) in Africa. This is an area on which Egypt has in the last few years has taken lead which culminated in it hosting the AU Centre for PCRD. The second is the annual joint consultative meeting with the UN Peacebuilding Commission (UNPBC). The 633^rd PSC session held in October 2016 decided to institutionalize its partnership with UNPBC through annual interactive sessions and this year the annual session will be held for the fourth time. Both meetings are expected to take place through VTC.

The final agenda of the month is the 5^th informal joint seminar and the 12th annual joint consultative meeting between the AUPSC and EUPSC scheduled for 26 October. The consultative meeting is expected to address the situation in the Sahel and Sudan.

For the month of September 2020, Djibouti will assume the role of chairing the African Union (AU) Peace and Security Council (PSC). Prepared under the Djibouti’s Permanente Representative to the AU and the PSC Chairperson of the month, Mohamed Idriss, the provisional program of work of the PSC for the month envisages some eight substantive sessions including three country specific sessions and one partially open session.

The first session of the month, which will be the first partially open session since the PSC adopted its new method of working remotely, is scheduled to take place on 3 September. The open session will commemorate the annual Africa Amnesty Month, which is expected to take place in line with the implementation of the AU theme of the year 2020 “Silencing the Guns: Creating Conducive Conditions for Africa’s Development”. Although this session is slated to be open, it will not be open to all. It is expected to bring together various participants including representatives of Regional Economic Communities/Mechanisms and international organizations.

On 8 September the PSC is expected to hold a preparatory meeting for the 5^th Informal Joint Seminar and the 14^th Annual Joint Consultative Meeting between the PSC and UN Security Council scheduled to take place at the end of the month. South Africa is leading on this file on the side of the African 3 members of the UNSC. This preparatory meeting is expected to focus on discussing agenda setting for identifying the themes and country situations that will be the focus of the Seminar and the Consultative meeting respectively. The meeting is scheduled to take place through VTC.

The following day on 9 September the PSC is expected to consider the report of the Chairperson of the Commission on the situation in South Sudan. The last time that PSC was briefed on South Sudan was in April 2020. This meeting is expected to review the state of implementation of the ceasefire and the transitional activities including the operationalization of the various institutions of the Transitional Government of National Unity. The meeting is scheduled to take place through VTC.

On 10 September the PSC is expected to consider its program of work for October. The provisional program will be circulated to all PSC members through email and the expected outcome will then be circulated through silence procedure.

On 15 September the PSC will have another preparatory meeting for the annual joint seminar and Consultative meeting with the UNSC. Apart from narrowing down the specific theme(s) and country situations that will form part of the agenda, the preparatory meetings also serve to discuss draft of the joint communique. The meeting is expected to take place through VTC.

The second country specific session of the month is scheduled to take place on 17 September. It is to be recalled that on 19 August the PSC suspended Mali’s participation in AU activities due to the unconstitutional change of government. As per the terms of the communique of the 941^st session of the PSC, the PSC is scheduled to receive update from the AU Commission Chairperson on the evaluation of the situation in Mali. It is also anticipated that the PSC will hear from ECOWAS on its engagements with the Malian stakeholders for the restoration of constitutional order in Mali. The meeting is expected to take place through VTC.

On 22 September the PSC is scheduled to consider the report of the Chairperson of the Commission on the Common African Position on the 2020 Review of the UN Peacebuilding Architecture. The position paper, which benefited from inputs from various stakeholders including Amani Africa, is developed following the decision of the 899^th PSC ministerial meeting held in Angola in December 2019. The meeting is expected to take place through VTC.

The third country specific session of the month is expected to take place on 24 September. On this day the PSC is expected to consider the report of the Chairperson of the Commission on the situation in Somalia. This session is expected to review the current security and political situation in the country and the preparations towards the holding of elections in Somalia. The meeting is expected to take place through VTC.

The 5^th Informal Joint Seminar and the 14^th Annual Joint Consultative Meeting between the PSC and UN Security Council are expected to take place on 29 and 30 September respectively. Both meetings are expected to take place through VTC.

Burundi assumes the role of the monthly chairpersonship of the African Union (AU) Peace and Security Council (PSC) for the month of July. The provisional program of work, involves some six substantive sessions including three focusing on country specific situations.

The first session of the month is expected to take place on 7 July. On this day the PSC is scheduled to receive a briefing on elections in Africa in the context of the COVID19 pandemic. The Department of Political Affairs is scheduled to provide an overall update on current developments in countries that have recently concluded elections, those that are preparing to undertake elections and those that have decided to postpone elections. The meeting is expected to take place through video teleconference (VTC).

This session affords the PSC an important opportunity to provide guidance to member states on how to manage elections in the context of COVID19. This is important in order to ensure that the holding of elections under restricted conditions or postponement of elections due to COVID19 measures would not lead to electoral disputes and instability.

On 10 July the PSC will consider the situation in the Central African Republic. The PSC is expected to assess the implementation of the peace agreement signed last year particularly in relation to the ongoing fighting and COVID19 pandemic and the overall humanitarian situation in the country. This meeting is also expected to be held via VTC.

On 14 July the PSC will receive a briefing on the Ebola Virus Disease outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo in the context of the COVID19 pandemic and implications for healthcare and humanitarian workers. The PSC is expected to receive update on the new Ebola outbreak declared on 1 June 2020 as well as the compounded effects of COVID19 on the health sector and humanitarian action. The session is expected to take place through VTC.

The consideration and adoption of the provisional program for the month of August is scheduled for 16 July. The draft program is expected to be circulated to all PSC member states through email and members will share their inputs.

On 21 July, the PSC is scheduled to consider the third country specific session. During this session, the PSC will receive an update on the status of implementation of the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Crisis in South Sudan. It is to be recalled that the PSC held its last session on South Sudan on 9 April 2020. This session is expected to review developments since the last session. This session is also scheduled to take place through (VTC).

On 24 July, the PSC will have a preparatory meeting on two agenda items. The first one is the annual joint consultative meeting with the UN Security Council (UNSC). Due to the disruptions that COVID19 has caused, it is not anticipated that the two Councils will hold meetings physically. It also does not seem possible that the Committee of Experts would travel to New York for the annual meeting with UNSC political coordinators and negotiating the draft joint communiqué.

The second meeting for the day is the discussion between the PSC and A3 on the preparation of the upcoming presidencies of the A3 in the UNSC. The meeting is expected to take place through VTC.

On 28 July the PSC will receive an update on of operationalization of the African Standby Force in the context of Africa’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The PSC may also take in consideration the existing guideline on the role of the ASF in Humanitarian action and Natural Disaster Support (HANDS). The session is scheduled to take place through VTC.

The last session of the month is scheduled for 31 July. On this day, the PSC will receive a briefing from the PSC Military Staff Committee on the ‘revised concept note on the guidelines for the deployment of 3000 AU troops in the Sahel’, which is prepared based on the Strategic Concept Note prepared as a follow up to the decision the AU Assembly adopted during the February 2020 AU summit. It is to be recalled that AU Commissioner for Peace and Security presented a draft Strategic Concept Note to the PSC in April. This meeting is also expected to take place through VTC.

Algeria assumes the role of the monthly chairpersonship of the African Union (AU) Peace and Security Council (PSC) for the month of June. The provisional program of work, involves some six substantive sessions including two on country specific situations.

On 2 June the PSC is scheduled to hold a virtual session on cessation of hostilities and humanitarian truce in Africa within the framework of COVID19 and Silencing the Guns. The session is also in line with the global call for ceasefire, which was further reiterated by the AU as well. On 9 June the PSC will consider the situation in Sudan. The last time the PSC considered Sudan was at its 906 session on 30 January 2020. The briefing will offer an opportunity to deliberate on the latest developments in the political transition also in relation to the impact of COVID19 and importantly the lifting of the sanctions on Sudan.

The consideration and adoption of the provisional program for the month of July will take place on 11 June. The draft provisional programme of work will be circulated to all PSC member states through email for inputs and comments.

On 16 June the second country specific briefing is scheduled and will focus on the situation in Guinea Bissau. After a disputed electoral process and outcome, President Umaro Cissoko Embalo was sworn in as the new president of Guinea Bissau. The PSC is expected to consider the post-election developments in the country since the last briefing it received on Guinea Bissau in January 2020. On 18 June the PSC will receive a briefing on the follow up of the implementation of the AU Border Strategy. The briefing will be circulated to PSC members through email and members will send their elements for the draft communiqué. The draft communiqué will be circulated and adopted through silence procedure.

On 23 June the PSC will receive a briefing on youth, peace and security. The meeting is expected to take place virtually and the AU Youth Envoy is expected to brief the Council. The last session of the month will be on the socioeconomic impact of COVID19 on peace and security in Africa and will take place on 30 June. The session is expected to be a virtual meeting. There is growing concern that the socio-economic fallouts of COVID19 will have much more devastating consequences on the continent than the public health impact of COVID19 itself. To avert or limit the negative impacts of these fallouts on peace and security, it is worthwhile for the PSC to engage early for activating preventative measures proactively.

Lesotho assumes the role of the monthly chairpersonship of the African Union (AU) Peace and Security Council (PSC) for the month of May. The provisional program of work, involves some seven substantive sessions including five on COVID19 related agenda items.

On 6 May the PSC is expected to receive a virtual briefing by Africa Centre for Disease Control (CDC) on the spread, control and implications of COVID-19 in Africa. This is the third VCT briefing on COVID-19 since the PSC adopted its new working methods. On 7 May, the PSC will hold a briefing on the situation in Somalia and consider the renewal of the mandate of the AMISOM, which expires on 27 May. The briefing will be circulated to all PSC Members through email and PSC Member States will send their inputs to the PSC Secretariat for the draft communiqué. The draft communiqué will then be circulated through silence procedure for its adoption in line with the Manual on PSC Working Methods.

On 12 May, the PSC will hold a session on the impact of COVID-19 on the security and welfare of children in Africa. This is in lieu of the annual thematic agenda on children affected by armed conflict, which normally takes place in an open session. For the purpose of this meeting however the PSC is expected to receive a virtual briefing from various presenters without an open session.

The next session is slated for 14 May when the PSC will consider and adopt its provisional programme of work for the month of June 2020. The Draft Provisional Programme of Work will be circulated to all PSC Member States, through emails, for their comments. This will also be held via email communications.

The PSC will receive a follow up briefing on the progress in controlling COVID-19 and its impact in Africa on 20 May. This meeting is expected to take place virtually and PSC Members will connect online.

The fifth substantive session of the month is scheduled for 22 May. This will be a briefing on the impact of COVID-19 on Living together in Peace. The first time the PSC considered Living together in Peace was in November 2019. At that time the format of the meeting was an open session. However, the briefing to this meeting will be circulated to all PSC Members through emails and PSC Member States will send their elements to the PSC Secretariat for the draft communiqué. The draft communiqué will then be circulated through silence procedure.

The third update of the month on the impact of COVID19 will take place on 27 May, but will focus on the impact on peace and security in Africa and is a follow up to the 918 session of the PSC. The PSC is expected to receive a virtual briefing. On 29 May, the PSC will hold its second country specific meeting of the month focusing on the situation in Darfur and the activities of UNAMID. The last time the PSC
considered this agenda item was in March 2020.

The last agenda item of the month is the briefing to the Permanent Representative Committee (PRC) on activities of the PSC during the month of May 2020. The compilation of activities of the PSC for May 2020, with a summary, will be sent to all AU member states.

Kenya takes over from Equatorial Guinea the role of the monthly chairpersonship of the African Union (AU) Peace and Security Council (PSC) for the month of April. Although a draft provisional program of work of the PSC for April was being finalized, it has become impossible to proceed with the draft program of work that was being finalized due to the decision to freeze the holding of physical meetings until the end of April in response to the novel coronavirus (COVID19).

The term of office of the ten members of the PSC serving for two years term since 2018 has come to an end on 31 March 2020. Below is the list of these outgoing members of the PSC from which Djibouti will remain in the PSC as a member of the PSC re-elected during the February 2020 AU Summit.

Table 1 PSC members whose two-year term ended on 31 March 2020

Region	States whose term ends in 2020
Central Africa	Equatorial Guinea and Gabon
Eastern Africa	Djibouti and Rwanda
Northern Africa	Morocco
Southern Africa	Angola and Zimbabwe
Western Africa	Liberia, Sierra Leone and Togo

The ten newly elected and returning members of the PSC have assumed their role as members of the PSC as of 1 April 2020. See below in table 2 the list of the members of the PSC starting their two-year term from 1 April.

Table 2 PSC members whose two-year term starts on 1 April

Region	States whose term ends in April 2020
Central Africa	Cameroon and Chad
Eastern Africa	Djibouti and Ethiopia
Northern Africa	Egypt
Southern Africa	Malawi and Mozambique
Western Africa	Benin, Ghana and Senegal

Due to the disruption of PSC activities because of COVID19, the reintroduction of the new members to the work of the PSC as observers during March 2020 and through the convening of an induction retreat scheduled to take place in Maputo has not been possible. Apart from getting introduced to the work of the PSC and its working methods electronically and in the course of participating in the activities of the PSC, the new members will also have to adjust to the improvisation required in the method of work of the PSC during the period which the PSC could not hold meetings physically.

The ordinary conduct of PSC’s work through the regular convening of meetings physically will not take place as envisaged in Article 8 of the PSC Protocol and the 2004 Rules of Procedure of the PSC (PSC Rules). It is however expected that the PSC will continue to conduct essential functions on account of the continuous nature of its mandate pursuant to Articles 2 and 8 of the PSC Protocol. Notwithstanding the provisions of the PSC Protocol and the PSC Rules on the conduct of business of the PSC under normal circumstances via physical meetings, these instruments and the Working Methods do not prohibit the PSC from conducting its business through working modalities other than meeting physically.

Accordingly, although much of the activities envisaged in the draft program of work of the PSC that was under finalization before the interruption by the COVID19 pandemic including the annual session on genocide and hate crimes could no longer be undertaken, the PSC is improvising to avoid the total freezing of its work including by focusing on essential works. Pursuant to the Manual on the PSC Working Methods, there is a list of mandatory/statutory meetings, which are reflected in the Annual Indicative Work Plan that the PSC is required to conduct. These include what are known as technical rollovers, which are related to the renewal of mandates of PSC mandated or PSC authorized missions.

The PSC is required to renew the mandate of such missions to ensure that they continue to function and that they have the legal basis for continuing to operate. During April, the PSC is expected to renew the mandate of the G5 Sahel Joint Taskforce, which was extended in 2019 until 11 April 2020.

The PSC will also continue to monitor the peace and security landscape on the continent to respond to new or emerging situations. It is to be recalled that the PSC during its last meeting on COVID-19, the 915th session, has requested to be briefed regularly on the fight against COVID-19. In the light of the concerns around the dire socio-economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the challenges arising from the
measures that countries are adopting, how the pandemic affects countries/regions experiencing conflict and risks of social tensions are issues deserving of PSC’s attention as a follow up to its 915th session.

It is expected that for purposes of these activities the PSC will resort to existing electronic medium of communication by adapting and building on the provisions in the Manual on the PSC Working Methods on silence procedure.

One of the consequences of the novel coronavirus (COVID19) on the African Union (AU) Peace and Security Council has been the freezing by the PSC its meetings in person. As a standing decision-making body on matters of peace and security in Africa, the inability of the PSC to convene meetings in person presented a major challenge for the continuity of its work. During March, the PSC was forced to suspend its activities and hence was unable to implement its program of work for the month as initially planned.

To prevent the emergence of a void in peace and security decision-making and enable the PSC to carry out its essential functions during this period, the PSC sought to find interim methods of conducting its business. Two interim working arrangements have been agreed in lieu of its usual meetings in person (Amani Africa will publish a special research report on this). Following the assumption by Kenya of the chairpersonship of the PSC for April, a program of work of the PSC for the month (whose overview is discussed below) was finalized. To carry out the monthly program of work, the PSC will be utilizing two mechanisms for meeting remotely and exchanging electronically on the agenda of a particular session.

The provisional program of work finalized via electronic communications involves some five substantive sessions including briefings on the current COVID19 outbreak and its impact on peace and security in Africa. On 9 April, the PSC will consider two agenda items. First it will receive an update on the situation in South Sudan. It is to be recalled that the PSC has conducted a field mission to South Sudan in February 2020 and considered the report of the field mission in March. Following the session on South Sudan, the PSC will then receive a ‘briefing on the humanitarian situation in the countries affected by the desert locust menace in Africa’. The briefings are expected to be circulated to all PSC Members through emails and the expected outcome will be circulated through the silence procedure as per the PSC Manual on Working Methods.

On 14 April the PSC will receive a briefing by Africa Centre for Disease Control (Africa CDC) on the implications of COVID19 on peace and security in Africa. While much of the continental response including the two AU Assembly Bureau teleconference meetings has been on the public health and the socio-economic impact of COVDI19, this session provides a muchneeded focus on the peace and security impact of COVID19.

This session is expected to take place using a virtual communication platform with members of the PSC joining to discuss the agenda of the session remotely. On 16 April the PSC will consider and adopt the provisional program of work for the month of May. The draft agenda will be circulated with all members for comments.

On 21 April the PSC will hold a discussion on the implementation of the decisions relating to peace and security adopted by the 33rd Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the AU. This may include follow up on key decisions taken on the Sahel region and Libya. It is envisaged that the Matrix of the Summit Decisions will be circulated to all PSC Members by 15 April 2020. The most notable aspect of this session is expected to be the initiative for deploying 3000 AU troops to the Sahel region in support of the efforts of the countries of the Sahel.

Similar to the 14 April session, this one is expected to take place through virtual meeting which will allow PSC Members to join the session online. On 23 April the African common position paper on financing AU peace support operations will be shared to all PSC Members for comments.

On 28 April the PSC will have a briefing session on IDPs, refugees and returnees in the context of COVID19 pandemic. Similar to the previous COVID19 briefing, this meeting is also expected to take place virtually. In addition to these agenda items, the provisional program of work indicates in footnotes a PSC session to consider the renewal of the mandate of the G5 Sahel Joint Force, which will expire on 12 April.

Although the date of the meeting is not specified, this meeting is expected to be conducted through email communication ahead of the expiry of the current timeline for the mandate of G5 Sahel Joint Force. The last agenda item of the month is taking place on 30 April, which is the PSC briefing to the PRC. For this purpose, summary of the compilation of activities of the PSC for April 2020 will be sent to all AU member states. With the introduction of the new working arrangement, the PSC has ensured the continuity of its work. This could be important during this period not only for the PSC to deal with key existing peace and security issues but also to address emerging peace and security issues including those arising from COVID19 and elections.

Equatorial Guinea assumes the role of the monthly chairpersonship of the African Union (AU) Peace and Security Council (PSC) for the month of March. The provisional program of work, involves some six substantive sessions. These include an open session and a ministerial level meeting.
The first meeting of the month scheduled for 3 March is a briefing on the situation in Darfur and the UNAMID transition. It is to be recalled that the PSC, at its 856th session, has renewed the mandate of the mission until June 2020, which is also the planned exit period of UNAMID from Darfur.
On 5 March the PSC will receive a briefing by the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) on the report of peer reviewed member states. This is the second time that the APRM addresses the PSC. It is a session that could serve as avenue for following up some of the early warning issues identified in the report of peer reviewed member states. On the same day, the Council will also have a preparatory session on the ministerial meeting planned at the end of the month in Malabo.
The schedule on the program of work for 10 March the PSC provides for two items. The first is consideration and adoption the provisional program of work for the month of April. The Council with continue its preparatory session for the ministerial meeting.
On 12 March, the PSC is expected to hold the only open session of the month. The session is expected to focus on the implementation of the Safe School Declaration in the promotion of education for children affected by armed conflicts in Africa, within the AU theme of the year silencing the guns.
On 17 March the PSC will receive a briefing on elections in Africa. The PSC may receive updates on upcoming and recently conducted elections. In 2020 close to 20 countries are preparing to hold elections including Somalia, Ethiopia, Cote D’Ivoire, Burundi and Guinea. On the same day the PSC will also undertake preparation for the PSC induction program of its new members.
The induction of the new members is scheduled to take place on 20 and 21 March. The program will include sessions on working methods and on activities of the PSC in implementing the AU theme of the year “ Silencing the Guns: Creating Conducive Conditions for Africa’s Development”. The newly elected members will start participating as observers in the various sessions of the PSC starting from the third week of March. They take up their seat as full members of the PSC on 1 April.
On 24 March the Council will consider three agenda items. The first is the situation in Guinea Bissau. The PSC may be briefed on the developments following the recently concluded presidential election and its outcome. The second agenda item is the preparation for the ministerial meeting. And lastly, the PSC will prepare for its activities with the EU Political and Security Committee (EUPSC) including the AUPSC/EUPSC joint field mission (whose dates and location are yet to be confirmed), the 12th annual joint meeting and the 5th joint retreat.

The PSC will conclude the month with the ministerial meeting on “The role of Youth and Women in Silencing the Guns in Africa” in Malabo on 31 March. A technical level meeting will precede the ministerial meeting on 30 March. The meeting is also in line with the standing annual PSC thematic on women, peace and security which usually takes place in March.
In addition to these agenda items, the provisional program of work indicates in footnotes possible meetings of the Military Staff Committee and Committee of Experts for which the dates are yet to be set.

Djibouti assumes the role of the monthly chairpersonship of the African Union (AU) Peace and Security Council (PSC) for the month of February. The provisional program of work, prepared under Mohamed Idriss Farah, Permanent Representative of Djibouti to the AU, involves some three substantive sessions. These include a meeting at the Heads of State and Government level and another one at ministerial level. Additionally, the PSC will also undertake a field mission.

On 8 February, the PSC is scheduled to hold its first meeting at a summit level focusing on two situations: the situation in Libya and the one in the Sahel. Despite the flurry of non-African peace efforts including the declaration signed during the Berlin Conference, the deterioration of the situation in Libya continues unabated. The focus on Libya follows the meeting of the AU High Level Ad Hoc Committee on Libya, held in Brazzaville, the Republic of Congo on 30 January. The dire consequences of the spike in the frequency and geographic spread of terrorist attacks and intercommunal violence in the Sahel has similarly become gravely concerning, requiring summit level engagement.

On 9-10 February the 33rd Ordinary Session of the AU Assembly will take place. The PSC is expected to submit to the Assembly its report on its activities and the state of peace and security pursuant to Article 7 of the PSC Protocol.

On 13 February the PSC is expected to consider three agenda items. First, the Council is expected to receive a briefing on the future of AMISOM and upcoming elections in Somalia. This PSC session is also taking ahead of the withdrawal of additional troops planned during the month as part of the drawdown of AMISOM.

In the second part of the session the PSC will discuss the preparation of its field mission to South Sudan and Sudan. Lastly, the PSC is expected to consider and adopt the PSC provisional programme of work for the month of March 2020.

From 16-20, the PSC will undertake a field mission to Sudan and South Sudan. In October, at its 889th session the PSC decided to undertake a field mission to Sudan and Darfur in early 2020 as part of the overall efforts aimed at contributing towards the promotion of peace in the country. The field mission to Sudan follows the meeting that the PSC held on Sudan on 30 January focusing on addressing the challenges facing the transition in Sudan, including its continued listing in the US list of countries sponsoring terrorism.

The visit to South Sudan comes as a follow up to its 894th session decision in November to undertake a field visit to South Sudan in February 2020 before the expiration of the 100 days extension of the pre- transitional period.

On 24 February the PSC will undertake a preparatory meeting for the ministerial meeting in Djibouti.

On 26 February, the PSC ministerial meeting is expected to address two agenda items. The first is on the challenges relating to the Horn of Africa and Red Sea. It is to be recalled that the PSC held a meeting on the situation in the Horn of Africa and the Red Sea in November 2018 at ambassadorial level. The ministerial session will build on the previous meeting.

The second agenda item will be a briefing on maritime security in Africa. This will take place in relation to the Lomé Charter adopted in October 2016 at the Extraordinary Summit on Maritime Security and Safety and Development in Africa in Togo and based on previous PSC sessions on the topic.
In addition to these agenda items, the provisional program of work indicates in footnotes possible meetings of the Military Staff Committee and Committee of Experts for which the dates are yet to be set.