In May, the Federal Republic of Nigeria will take over the chairship of the African Union (AU) Peace and Security Council (PSC). The Provisional Programme of Work (PPoW) for the month envisages four substantive sessions, covering six agenda items. The PPoW additionally envisages the induction of the PSC Committee of Experts (CoE) and a joint retreat of the PSC, the Permanent Representatives Committee (PRC) sub-committee on General Supervision and Coordination on Budgetary, Financial, (GSC) and Administrative Matters and the Board of Trustees (BoT) of the AU Peace Fund.

All four sessions are scheduled to happen at the ambassadorial level. No provision is made for an open session of the PSC. Except for one session, all the sessions are envisaged to be held virtually. Except for one country-specific session, all the other sessions focus on thematic issues, including the activities of the Multinational Joint Task Force for the Lake Chad Basin. Many of the agenda items have a regional focus covering West Africa and adjacent areas.

The first session of the month is scheduled to be held on 4 May on the theme ‘Impact of Climate Change on the crisis in the Lake Chad Basin and Sahel regions.’ This will be the second session of the PSC this year to be held under the climate change theme, building up from its 1331^st session held on 19 February 2026. However, this focuses on the climate shock impacts in relation to the crises in the Lake Chad Basin (LCB) and the Sahel regions. The session is expected to review recent developments on the impact of climate change in LCB and the Sahel and the ways in which such impact intersects with insecurity in these regions.

In the LCB region, the local economy of the people depends on the lake activities such as fishing, agriculture and pastoralism, especially in the upper catchment of the lake. Historically, Lake Chad covered about 25,000 km² but has reduced to less than 2,500 km², drastically affecting livelihoods and economic activity. Lake Chad’s shrinkage in a context of heightened need and greater weather extremes is driving loss of livelihoods, displacement and rising tensions over access to depleting resources. The vulnerability that this induces in a context of growing demands and lack of alternative sources of livelihoods, along with the weak presence of the state, is taken advantage of by Boko Haram and its factions, including Islamic State West Africa Province and JAS, for recruitment and to sustain their operations in the region. The Sahel is one of the world’s most vulnerable regions in terms of the effects of climate change. It has been projected that temperatures in the Sahel will rise by at least 2°C in the short term (2021-2040), a rate 1.5 times higher than the global average. While the resultant climatic conditions do not on themselves lead to conflict, they heighten existing vulnerabilities and accelerate existing conditions of insecurity in the Sahel, which is experiencing farmer-herder conflicts and conflicts involving terrorist groups.

The next session, set for 6 May, will focus on a ‘Discussion on African strategies for combating Transnational Organised Crime (ToC) in Africa.’ It is worth recalling that during its 845^th session held on 25 April 2019, the PSC had decided to hold an annual session on the theme of ‘transnational organised crime and peace and security in Africa.’ Since then the PSC has held five sessions the PSC has since then held five annual sessions with a hiatus in 2023. This session comes against the backdrop of deepening security challenges, increasingly marked by the expanding nexus between transnational organised crime and terrorism. The 2025 Africa Organised Crime Index reported that the most pervasive organised criminal activities were financial crimes, human trafficking, non-renewable resource crimes, the trade in counterfeit goods and arms trafficking. This session thus provides an opportunity for looking into updates on recent trends and developments in organised crimes in Africa and the impact thereof on peace and security.

The last time the PSC convened to discuss this theme was during its 1279^th session held on 14 May 2025,  which focused on ‘Discussion on Organised Transnational Crime, Peace and Security in the Sahel.’ Among other decisions, Council tasked the AU Commission to ‘coordinate with AFRIPOL, INTERPOL, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and other critical stakeholders in developing tailored responses to the specific geographical and logistical profiles of each criminal corridor, including joint mobile units and specialised port and desert surveillance capacities.’ Another assignment was for the AU Commission, in coordination with AFRIPOL, AUCTC and CISSA, to carry out a comprehensive study on organised transnational crime, peace and security in the Sahel region, detailing its nature, origin, sources of financing and impacts on local populations and to present the study to the PSC. This session thus additionally serves as an opportunity to receive an update on the progress made in these respects.

On 8 May, the PSC will have a Joint Retreat with the PRC GSC Bureau and BoT of the AU Peace Fund. This retreat comes almost two months following an engagement between the PSC and Donald Kaberuka, the AU Special Envoy on Sustainable Financing for the Union and Financing for Peace in Africa. The meeting focused on enhancing the utilisation of the Peace Fund and advancing efforts to secure sustainable and predictable financing for peace operations in Africa. In October 2024, the PSC convened virtually for its 1236^th meeting for an engagement with the Sub-Committee of the Permanent Representatives Committee (PRC) on General Supervision and Coordination on Budgetary, Financial, and Administrative Matters (GSCBFAM). A session which widely focused on the Financing of PSOs and AU peace and security activities. The session called for the review of the annual budget ceiling for PSC activities, and, in the spirit of diversification of funding, highlighted the need for ‘developing innovative financial mechanisms to allow for the AU to respond to emerging security threats.’ This retreat will therefore provide an opportune platform for discussions on strategic engagement around new funding sources and appropriate modalities for accounting for their use, as well as enhanced coordination between the key bodies on the use of the Peace Fund.

The next session, scheduled for 15 May, will be on the theme ‘Update on the operationalisation of the African Standby Force (ASF).’ The last time the Council considered this agenda item was on 30 January 2025, during its 1257^th session, in which the discussions touched on the continued support for the RECs/RMs in establishing and sustaining regional logistics depots, sustainable financing for PSOs, and the integration of International Humanitarian and Human Rights Law (IHL and IHRL) into the ASF doctrine, as captured in Amani Africa’s January 2025 Monthly Digest. It is expected that the PSC will receive updates on recent developments and the next steps towards the full operationalisation of the ASF.

On the same day, the PSC will get a ‘Briefing on efforts towards the Operationalisation of the Combined Maritime Task Force in addressing Piracy in the Gulf of Guinea.’ During Council’s 1275^th meeting held in April 2025,  it emphasised the need for the ‘Combined Maritime Task Force (CMTF) to report on its activities regularly to the Council’ following its endorsement by the Council as a ‘standing, ready–to–deploy force, capable of rapid and coordinated regional maritime security responses in the Gulf of Guinea Region.’ Apart from review of the state of operaitonalisaiton of the CMTF, the session will be expected to give an update following Council’s requests to the AU Commission, through the PSOD, to ‘take practical steps to collaborate with the CMTF in the Gulf of Guinea to identify the capacity needs of the Task Force and to provide such support, including from the Continental Logistics Base (CLB) to position the Task Force as a critical naval component of the ASF, operating in the Gulf of Guinea region.’ Additionally, the session will provide the opportunity to build up discussions on the Council’s previous request on the ‘need for establishing a multidisciplinary task team to follow up on the operationalisation of the CMTF.’

On 18 May, the PSC will have the last substantive session, covering two agenda items. The first item will be ‘Update on the Stabilisation activities of the MNJTF in the Lake Chad Basin.’ A session which is expected to provide update on implementation of previous PSC decisions including from its last 1318^th session held on 15 December 2025, in which Council tasked the AU Commission, in consultation with the UN to consider the application of UN Security Council Resolution 2719 to fund the MNJTF activities, and the LCBC to renew the Memorandum of Understanding and Support Implementation Agreement (SIA) that guides the provision of the AU’s additional support to the MNJTF for a period of one year, starting from 1 February 2026 to 31 January 2027. Additionally, Council was also tasked to support the mobilisation of resources that include air, amphibious assets, anti-drones and anti-IEDs before the commencement of Operation Lake Sanit III. The session is also expected to evaluate the Lake Chad Basin’s security situation and the MNJTF’s operations against Boko Haram and its offshoots, JAS and ISWAP, which remain significant threats to regional stability.

The second agenda item will be ‘Update on the political transition and security situation in Guinea-Bissau.’ This will be the second session on the situation in Guinea-Bissau held this year, building up on the 1333^rd session, and the third time the PSC convenes to consider the situation in the country since the military coup of 26 November 2025, which disrupted the 23 November electoral process. Council directed the AU Commission to sustain engagements with the transition government of Guinea-Bissau, including providing technical support to the National Election Commission with a view to promoting its independence, transparency and institutional integrity. The session will offer a platform to review progress so far toward restoring constitutional order and to follow up on decisions adopted at the 1333^rd meeting, especially on the Council’s request for the development of an integrated plan for security sector reform, with the support of the AU Commission and international partners.

In addition to the PSC sessions, the PPoW envisages two sessions of the PSC sub-committees. The first of this is the meeting of the PSC CoE for an ‘Informal Experts (AU-wide) Session on the AU Liaison Offices (AULOs) Assessment Report.’ This is expected to be the session where the PSC CoE will receive a briefing on the assessment carried out on the state of AULOs. It is worth recalling that on 15 August 2025, the PSC added to its programme an agenda item covering, among others, ‘…CoE Report on the Review of the AU Liaison Offices’; however, the Report on the Review of the AULOs was not finalised as of the time of the convening. Currently, AULOs established by the PSC decisions are: the AULO in Burundi and the Great Lakes Region (Bujumbura), in CAR, Chad, Côte d’Ivoire, DRC, Guinea-Bissau, Libya (Tripoli, which was temporarily relocated to Tunis), in Madagascar, AULO for Mali and Sahel (Bamako), in South Sudan, and in Sudan (Khartoum, temporarily relocated to Addis Ababa). Meanwhile, the AULO in Liberia was closed in June 2019, and the AULO in Comoros was closed in May 2017. The AULO in Western Sahara was also closed in March 2016.

On 13 May, the other PSC Subcommittee, the Counter-Terrorism Subcommittee, will meet for a discussion on the Draft 5-year AU Continental Counter Terrorism Strategic Plan of Action. It is worth recalling that the CoE convened for its 78^th meeting on 1 August 2025 for discussions on the reactivation of this PSC Sub-Committee, in particular the development of the ToR of the PSC Sub-Committee on Counter Terrorism. Two weeks later, on 15 August 2025, the PSC met for its 1297^th meeting to adopt the ToR of the Sub-Committee, which outlines the Sub-Committee’s objectives, mandate, composition and operational modalities, aiming to enhance the PSC’s ability to respond to terrorism through African-led strategies, coordination with the RECs/RMs and collaboration with AU bodies like the AUCTC, AFRIPOL and CISSA.

In addition to the foregoing sessions of the PSC and its sub-committees, the PPoW also envisages the 17^th High-Level Retreat on the Promotion of Peace, Security and Stability in Africa to be held in Libreville, Gabon, from 20 to 22 May. In addition, on 25 and 26 May, there will be the induction of the sixteenth cohort of the PSC CoE to be held in Abuja, Nigeria. This will also involve engagement with the Sub-committee on Counter terrorism and the National Counter Terrorism Centre.

In the footnote, the PPoW also envisages a possible engagement of the Chairperson of the PSC at the Fourth India-Africa Forum Summit (IAFS-IV) to be held on 31 May in New Delhi, India.

In April, the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia will assume the Chairship of the African Union (AU) Peace and Security Council (PSC). The Provisional Programme of Work (PPoW) for the month outlines five substantive sessions covering a total of six agenda items. With the exception of one session scheduled at the ministerial level, all meetings are expected to be convened at the ambassadorial level. Of the six agenda items, two are country-specific, while the remaining four focus on thematic issues. In addition to these sessions, the PSC is also expected to undertake a field mission to South Sudan and travel to Kuriftu for the 5th Annual Joint Retreat with the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM).

On 8 April, the PSC will convene its first substantive open session on ‘Hate Crimes and the Fight Against Genocidal Ideology in Africa’, a meeting likely to be framed both as a standing thematic session and as a remembrance session taking place in close proximity to the AU’s annual commemoration of the Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda. Institutionalized as an annual open session since the PSC’s 678^th session, this year’s discussion is expected to build on the outcome of the Council’s 1272^nd session held on 2 April 2025, which emphasized accountability, the fight against impunity, stronger national legal and institutional frameworks for prevention, enhanced early warning including cyber monitoring of online disinformation, and closer cooperation with digital platforms, media, and civil society. It is recalled that the AU appointed Adama Dieng as the first AU Special Envoy for the Prevention of the Crime of Genocide and Other Mass Atrocities in April 2024.

On 9 April, the PSC will hold its second session on the situation in the Central African Republic, shifting from the pre-election focus of its 1302^nd session of 19 September 2025 toward a post-election assessment. While its previous meeting noted progress in electoral preparations, encouraged continued political engagement and confidence-building, and expressed deep concern over the humanitarian situation driven by insecurity, the upcoming session is likely to assess the aftermath of the polls. The confirmation of President Faustin-Archange Touadéra’s victory in January 2026 came amid opposition allegations of fraud. It may also be noted that the December polls, described by the UN as the ‘most extensive electoral operation’ ever undertaken in CAR and including the first municipal elections since 1988, marked an important political milestone, though one whose gains remain fragile. Council is likely to examine the management of post-election grievances while considering the need for continued political dialogue and institutional support. On the security front, some reduction in fighting was registered during 2025 following ceasefire and disarmament steps involving Union for Peace in the Central African Republic (UPC) and Retour, Réclamation et Réhabilitation (3R). Yet, armed group activity, grave child-rights violations, attacks affecting civilians, and constraints on humanitarian access have persisted.

On 16 April, PSC is scheduled to convene a session on ‘Artificial Intelligence: Governance, Peace and Security in Africa’. On 20 March 2025, the PSC held its 1267^th ministerial-level session on ‘Artificial Intelligence and its Impact on Peace and Security in Africa’, building on its earlier dedicated session (1214^th) on the issue held on 13 June 2024. That initial session highlighted both the opportunities and risks associated with AI in peace and security contexts and tasked the AU Commission with undertaking a comprehensive study and proposing governance frameworks. The 1267^th session further advanced these deliberations by proposing the mainstreaming of AI in peace support operations, early warning systems, and preventive diplomacy, while also calling for the development of an African Common Position on AI and an African Charter on AI to guide its responsible use. Some progress has since been made in implementing these decisions, notably through the establishment of the AU AI Advisory Group on Governance, Peace and Security. In December 2025, the Advisory Group convened in Nairobi, Kenya, to discuss its future plans, including the development of a Common African Position on AI, and to deliberate on emerging AI trends, opportunities, and risks in Africa, as well as their implications for governance, conflict prevention, and stability. Additionally, the Strategic Assessment and Review of the Continental Early Warning System, held in November 2025 in Kigali, Rwanda, resulted in the adoption of a joint AU–RECs/RMs Roadmap to integrate AI into early warning processes. It is expected that the upcoming session will build on and further expand the PSC’s consideration of AI and governance, as well as peace and security in Africa. Following this session, the PSC is scheduled to undertake a field visit on 18 April to the Ethiopian AI Institute and the Science and Technology Museum.

On 20 April, the Council will convene for a briefing by the A3 on its activities. Since 1 January 2026, the DRC and Liberia have joined Somalia as part of the United Nations Security Council’s African members (A3) for the 2026 – 2027 period. The briefing is happening in line with longstanding commitments to strengthen coordination between the AU and the UNSC. This engagement originates from the first conclusion of the High-Level Seminar (HLS) on peace and security in Africa held in Algiers in December 2013, which established that the A3 would provide quarterly briefings to the PSC on African issues on the UNSC agenda. This commitment was later reaffirmed during the 11^th Oran Process in 2024 and was subsequently reaffirmed during the 11th Oran Process in 2024 and further institutionalised through the adoption of the Manual on the Modalities for Enhancing Coordination between the PSC and the A3 at the PSC’s 1289^th session on 24 July 2025, formalising requirements for regular reporting and structured engagement. In this context, the A3 are expected to brief the Council on their coordinated engagements in the UNSC over the past quarter, including efforts to harmonise positions, deliver joint statements, and assume a more assertive role within the UNSC, including as penholders or co-penholders on African files. The session is also likely to assess how effectively the A3 have navigated UNSC dynamics to influence deliberations and outcomes on key situations such as the Democratic Republic of Congo, Sudan, and the Sahel.

Before convening its final session for the month, the PSC is scheduled to undertake a field mission to South Sudan from 23 to 25 April. This will mark the Council’s second visit since the renewed escalation of political and security tensions that continue to threaten the already fragile gains of the Revitalised Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan (R-ARCSS). The mission comes at a critical juncture, as the country moves, under very tense security conditions, towards the planned elections in December 2026, amid persistent delays in implementing key provisions of the peace agreement, including transitional security arrangements, constitutional-making, and the unification of forces. Against this backdrop, the visit is expected to provide the PSC with an opportunity to directly engage with national stakeholders on the state of the transition, press on follow-up to its decisions, including the release of political prisoners and the return to political dialogue, and explore avenues for rebuilding trust among the parties.

The final session of the month, scheduled for 27 April, will consider two agenda items. The first will be addressed in an open session dedicated to deliberations on Peace Support Operations (PSOs) in Africa. Building on its previous engagements, the Council is expected to provide the PSC with an opportunity to take stock of ongoing deliberations on the future, effectiveness, and sustainability of AU-led and AU-mandated PSOs. In particular, the Council is likely to reflect on the shifting landscape in which these operations are deployed, including increasingly complex conflict environments, the rise of asymmetric threats, and the impact of evolving geopolitical dynamics on multilateral peace operations. It is expected that the session will reflect on how to reposition and repurpose AU-led peace operations in light of changing realities in terms of models, funding, and political legitimacy. The session is also anticipated to draw on emerging insights from the independent study on the future of peacekeeping commissioned by the UN Department of Peace Operations, with a view to distilling lessons relevant to the African context, particularly regarding mandate design, adaptability, partnerships, and the protection of civilians. However, a central focus of the discussion will likely remain the perennial question of financing AU PSOs.

The second agenda item will focus on the Council’s consideration of its field mission report to South Sudan.

As the final activity of the month, the PSC is scheduled to convene its 5^th Annual Joint Retreat with the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) on 29 and 30 April. It is recalled that, at its 1274^th session, which considered the conclusions of the 4^th Joint Retreat, the PSC requested the AU Commission and the APRM Continental Secretariat to ensure the implementation of the agreed conclusions and to report back at the subsequent retreat. This request builds on earlier decisions, including at the PSC’s 1191^st session, where the Council called for the development of a matrix to track the implementation of past retreat outcomes for review and adoption. Against this backdrop, the upcoming retreat is expected to assess progress made in implementing previous conclusions and advance discussions on key priority areas, particularly early warning and conflict prevention.

Beyond the substantive sessions and activities, 7 April will feature the Flag Day ceremony for the newly elected members of the PSC, during which the flags of the newly constituted Council will be installed in the PSC Chamber. The ceremony will be accompanied by a briefing from the Chairperson of the African Union Commission (AUC), as well as an exhibition marking the International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action. Commemorated annually on 4 April pursuant to United Nations General Assembly resolution A/RES/60/97 of 8 December 2005, the International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action has been observed by the PSC through dedicated sessions since 2019.

 

The Kingdom of Eswatini will assume the Chairship of the African Union (AU) Peace and Security Council (PSC) for the month of March. The Provisional Programme of Work (PPoW) for the month envisages five substantive sessions. Of these, three will address country-specific situations, while the remaining two will focus on thematic issues. All sessions are scheduled to be held at an ambassadorial level. In addition to the substantive meetings, the PPoW provides for a capacity-building programme for the Committee of Experts (CoE) and an induction session for the newly elected members of the PSC.

On 5 March, the PSC is expected to hold its first substantive session of the month on the situation in Guinea-Bissau. The PSC last met on Guinea-Bissau during its 1315th session on 28 November 2025, at which the Council characterised the 26 November military takeover as an unconstitutional change of government and suspended Guinea-Bissau from AU activities. It stressed that restoring constitutional order required completion of the electoral process—not negotiations or interim arrangements—and called on the military to step aside, finalise the November 2025 election results, and allow the declared winner to assume office. These demands were not heeded. Instead, the military consolidated power, swearing in coup leader General Horta N’Tam as interim president for a one-year transition and scheduling presidential and legislative elections for 6 December 2026. Although the transitional charter bars N’Tam and his prime minister from contesting, it remains uncertain whether the authorities will honour both the charter and Article 25(4) of the ACDEG, which prohibits coup leaders from running for office, particularly in light of recent transitions elsewhere on the continent. The PSC may wish to consider the prohibition in the Guinea Bissau transitional charter as an opportunity to express its continuing support for Article 25(4) of ACDEG which it failed to do in relation to Gabon and Guinea. It also offers a platform to review progress toward restoring constitutional order and to follow up on decisions adopted at the 1315th session, including the establishment of an AU Monitoring Mechanism on Guinea-Bissau and the convening of a PSC meeting at Heads of State and Government level on the resurgence of unconstitutional changes of government in Africa.

On 9 March, the PSC will convene its annual open session on women, peace and security (WPS) in Africa. This session is in line with its decision at the 223rd meeting in March 2010 to dedicate one open session each year to this agenda. In October last year, the Council similarly held a session on WPS, marking 25 years of Resolution 1325 and the 15th anniversary of the PSC’s decision to institutionalise the agenda. As with previous meetings, the upcoming session is expected to take stock of progress and challenges in advancing the agenda on the continent and explore the way forward, particularly in closing implementation gaps.

On 10 March, the PSC will deliberate on coordinated AU–Southern African Development Community (SADC) support for Madagascar. This provides an opportunity for following up previous decisions of the PSC. In its communiqué adopted at its 1313^th meeting of 20 November 2025, the Council underscored the urgent need for ‘continued vigilance and monitoring of the evolution of the situation in Madagascar’ and explicitly mandated the ‘undertaking of a Field Mission in early 2026 to gather first-hand information on the realities on the ground.’ A March 2026 session would therefore provide the necessary deliberative platform to determine the next steps on this commitment and also enable Council to assess progress made by the Transitional Authorities in implementing the recommendations set out in the 1305^th and 1306^th PSC meetings of 13 and 15 October respectively and to evaluate compliance with the call for a consensual, inclusive and time-bound Transition Roadmap aimed at the swift restoration of constitutional order.

The upcoming session is particularly important in light of the divergence between the PSC and SADC regarding the characterisation of the October 2025 military seizure of power and the response adopted. While the PSC, at its 1306th session, decided to suspend Madagascar on the grounds of unconstitutional change of government, SADC opted instead to dispatch a fact-finding mission. Subsequently, the Extraordinary Summit of the SADC Heads of State and Government, held in December 2025, directed the Transitional Government of Madagascar to submit a dialogue-readiness report and a draft National Roadmap by 28 February 2026. The Summit further approved the deployment, by March 2026, of the SADC Panel of Elders, led by former President Joyce Banda of Malawi, and called for coordination with the AU and the broader international partners to avoid fragmentation of efforts. In late January 2026, the Panel of Elders commenced its mission in Antananarivo to facilitate an inclusive dialogue. In addition, it will serve as a platform to ensure coherent political messaging and coordinated mobilisation of the necessary technical and financial support for securing a consensual, inclusive and time-bound transition process towards the swift restoration of constitutional order that is consistent with AU norms including Article 25(4) of ACDEG.

On 12 March, the PSC will receive a briefing from the Five-Member Panel of Facilitators on the Peace Process in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) regarding their recent activities. The session takes place amid concerns over renewed escalation and risks to the fragile peace process following reports of drone strikes in February that killed the M23 military spokesperson and others in eastern DRC. This session also came following the announcement by the United States of the imposition of sanctions on Rwanda military leaders, including the chief of defense forces for breach of the Washington peace deal. The AU through its mediator the President of Togo convened the High-Level Meeting on the Coherence and Consolidation of the Peace Process in the DRC and the Great Lakes Region, convened in Lomé, Togo, in mid-January with the Panel of Facilitators. The Panel subsequently held separate consultations in late January with President Félix Tshisekedi of the DRC and President Paul Kagame of Rwanda, as well as with Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni in early February. On the margins of the 39th AU Summit, the Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security, Bankole Adeoye held consultations with the Facilitators. It is to be recalled that at its 1323rd session in December 2025, the PSC requested the Facilitators to propose urgent measures to de-escalate the situation in eastern DRC and report to the AU Mediator, who in turn presented the proposals to the February Ordinary Session of the AU Assembly. In their forthcoming briefing helps to follow up on the PSC’s earlier decision and to get the views of the Facilitators on how their role is organized, how best they can contribute towards creating conditions for implementation of the peace agreements signed in Washington DC and Doha and the support mechanism required for their effective facilitation of their mandate.

On 17 March, the PSC is scheduled to receive a briefing from the AU Panel of the Wise on its activities. The Panel, an important pillar of the African Peace and Security Architecture for preventive diplomacy, last briefed the Council in March last year. Although such briefings were envisaged to take place quarterly, as agreed at the PSC’s 665th session in March 2017, they have in practice become annual engagements. At its previous briefing, during the PSC’s 1264th session, the Council directed the AU Commission to strengthen the provision of frequent early warning analysis to the Panel and to undertake joint scenario-building exercises with experts, including members of the African Network of Think Tanks for Peace (NeTT4Peace). In the forthcoming session, the Panel is expected to provide updates on its activities since the last briefing, including its missions to South Sudan and Madagascar, as well as a consultative roundtable with eminent religious and traditional leaders from the Sahel and West Africa. The meeting will also provide an opportunity to reflect on ways to enhance the Panel’s preventive role.

In addition to the substantive sessions, the PSC’s Committee of Experts (CoE) is scheduled to meet on 19 March to prepare the induction programme for the newly elected PSC members, which will take place later in the month (28-31 March) in Mbabane, Eswatini. A capacity-building session for the CoE is also planned in Mbabane from 25 to 27 March. In the footnote, the PPoW indicates that a Ministerial and High-Level Session on the promotion and protection of the rights and welfare of children in situations of conflict in Africa (Banjul Process) may be held subject to confirmation.

The Arab Republic of Egypt will assume the chairship of the African Union (AU) Peace and Security Council (PSC) for the month of February. The Provisional Programme of Work (PPoW) for the month includes four substantive sessions covering five agenda items. Among the five agenda items, two will cover country-specific situations, two will cover thematic issues, and another session will consider and adopt the ‘Report of the Activities of the PSC and the State of Peace and Security in Africa.’ The country-specific sessions will be convened at the ministerial level, while the thematic sessions will be held at the ambassadorial level. In addition, the PPoW includes two informal consultations – one with Sudan and another with Member States in Political Transition. The 48^th Ordinary Session of the AU Executive Council and the 39^th Ordinary Session of the Assembly will also be held during this month. A field visit is also planned for the last week of the month. Two meetings will be conducted physically, while two others will take place virtually, with virtual meetings having become part of the norm through practice.

On 3 February, the PSC will convene its first substantive session of the month to consider and adopt the ‘Report on the Activities of the Peace and Security Council and the State of Peace and Security in Africa.’ The session was initially scheduled for January 2026 but was subsequently postponed. Pursuant to Article 7 (q) of the PSC Protocol and in keeping with established institutional practice, the Council will, following its deliberations, transmit the report to the 39^th Ordinary Session of the AU Assembly, which is scheduled for 14 to 15 February 2026. The report is anticipated to present a consolidated account of the PSC’s undertakings during the reporting period, alongside an analytical appraisal of prevailing trends and developments shaping the continent’s peace and security environment.

On 10 February, the PSC will receive two briefings on the situations in Sudan and Somalia at the ministerial level. The session will begin with a briefing on Sudan, preceded by an informal consultation at the ministerial level, which is expected to feature Sudan’s minister. The briefing follows the PSC’s 1319^th session held in December 2025, during which the Council agreed to convene a Ministerial meeting on Sudan on the margins of the 39^th Ordinary Session of the AU Assembly. During that session, the Council welcomed the establishment of the Quintet—the latest configuration in Sudan’s peace efforts—bringing together five multilateral organisations (the AU, IGAD, the UN, the Arab League, and the EU) with the aim of anchoring the political and civilian peace process under AU leadership. Cognisant of the emergence of a de facto two-pronged peacemaking architecture for Sudan (one focusing on ceasefire or humanitarian truce and the other involving the political/civilian track), the Council also called on members of the Quintet and the Quad to work closely together to ensure greater synergy in mediation efforts. In this context, one of the updates expected in the upcoming briefing concerns the consultative meeting of the Quintet held in Egypt in mid-January and the outcomes of that engagement. The briefing is also expected to provide a platform for the PSC to follow up on its previous decisions, including the establishment of an Inter-Departmental Task Force to coordinate humanitarian efforts, receive the latest updates on the security situation since the December meeting, explore ways to enhance coordination among the various mediation initiatives, and recalibrate the AU’s engagement in support of an inclusive, Sudanese-led political dialogue. It would not also be surprising if the issue of the lifting of Sudan’s suspension would arise, more so on account of the fact that it would be one of the issues that the representative of Sudan may likely raise during the informal consultation.

On the same date, the PSC will also receive a briefing on the situation in Somalia, expectedly with a particular focus on the operation and financing of the African Union Support and Stabilisation Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM). At its last meeting, held on 15 December 2025, the PSC considered the report of the Chairperson of the AU Commission, which highlighted key developments in Somalia and progress in the implementation of AUSSOM’s mandate during the period from July to December 2025. The report covered, inter alia, progress towards the operationalisation of the mission, as well as the financial and logistical challenges it continues to face. Against the backdrop of the financial, logistical, operational, and political constraints affecting the mission, the Chairperson of the Commission outlined three options for the PSC’s strategic guidance on the future of AUSSOM. During that session, the Council, instead of pronouncing itself on the proposed options, requested the AU Commission to submit a detailed report elaborating on each option, including their implications for the sustainability of AUSSOM and its operations. The Council further requested the Commission to urgently convene a meeting of AUSSOM TCCs/PCCs at the level of Chiefs of Defence Forces to deliberate on the three options and submit their recommendations for the Council’s consideration. Of immediate interest for the upcoming ministerial session will be to hear from the AU Commission on the PSC’s request for the Commission to fast-track the immediate release of the allocated funds to AUSSOM and to report on its implementation to the next meeting of the Council.’

After the 39^th AU Summit, on 19 February, the PSC will hold an open session on Climate, Peace and Security. The last time the PSC held a session on this subject was at its 1301^st session of September 2025, which situated the climate-security engagement firmly within the wider climate change policy framework, thereby eschewing the risk of bifurcation between the climate change policy process and the climate, peace and security policy making. Apart from the impact of climate change induced depletion of scarce natural resources on which people depend for their livelihoods including water and pasture on conflicts in the Sahel and Lake Chad Basin, discussions are likely to focus on strengthening evidence-based and conflict-sensitive approaches, mobilising adequate and predictable climate finance for adaptation, loss and damage and a just transition, and advancing the integration of climate indicators into early warning and peace and security mechanisms. The session may also provide an update on progress toward the Common African Position (CAP) on Climate, Peace and Security, including ongoing consultations with AU Member States, the African Group of Negotiators and RECs/RMs, as well as its expected alignment with AU climate frameworks and the Paris Agreement – with finalisation now anticipated ahead of COP31.

On 24 February, the PSC will hold a consultation with the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), the World Food Programme (WFP), and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) on the nexus between food, peace and security. The session aims to deepen the Council’s understanding of how conflict, climate shocks and food insecurity reinforce one another across the continent. While the PSC has previously addressed food insecurity within its humanitarian agenda, it was at its 1083^rd session of 9 May 2022 that the Council explicitly dedicated attention to the link between food security and conflict and requested regular briefings by the AU Commission in collaboration with relevant regional institutions. The discussion is additionally expected to build on issues observed in various conflict settings, including the impact of armed conflict on agricultural production, food systems, displacement and market access, as well as on how food assistance, rural development and resilience-building interventions can contribute to conflict prevention and peacebuilding. FAO is expected to provide technical analysis on food security trends and agricultural systems, WFP will draw on operational data from conflict-affected settings where millions depend on emergency food assistance, and IFAD is expected to highlight long-term investments in smallholder livelihoods and rural resilience in fragile contexts. The urgency of this consultation is underscored by ongoing conflicts such as in Sudan, where violence has driven famine in parts of the country, and in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, where sustained insecurity has disrupted farming and supply chains, contributing to acute food insecurity affecting tens of millions.

On 25 February, the PSC is expected to have a field visit. However, not much detail is provided at the time of finalising this edition of Insights on the PSC and going to print.

The month will conclude on 27 February with an informal consultation between the Council and Member States currently in political transition, namely Burkina Faso, Guinea-Bissau, Madagascar, Mali, Niger and Sudan. This will be the fifth such consultation since the PSC institutionalised this format within its working methods following its 14^th Retreat on Working Methods in November 2022. Held in accordance with Article 8(11) of the PSC Protocol, the consultations are held to enable direct engagement with representatives of Member States suspended from AU activities due to unconstitutional changes of government. The session will assess progress made and challenges encountered in ongoing transition processes and consider how the PSC can further strengthen its support for the political normalisation of the affected Member States, building on discussions held during the December 2025 session.  No formal outcome document is expected.

The PPoW in footnotes also includes the presentation of the Report on the Activities of the PSC for 2025 and the State of Peace and Security in Africa to the AU Assembly. This is expected to happen on 14-15 February during the 39^th AU Summit of the Assembly. As per the current practice, Egypt, as Chairperson of the PSSC, will introduce and present a summary followed by a full presentation of the report by the Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security (PAPS). However and in a commendable working methods improvement, for the first time, the proposed draft agenda of the AU Assembly introduces a different approach that singles out the major conflict situations for a dedicated and focused discussion. These are: a) progress report on the AU mediation in Eastern DRC, b) Situation in Sudan and South Sudan, and c) Situation in the Sahel.

In addition to the foregoing, the PSC’s Committee of Experts (CoE) is scheduled to convene two virtual meetings and one physical meeting during the month. The first virtual meeting, to be held on 5 February, will focus on preparations for the ministerial-level sessions on Sudan and Somalia scheduled for 10 February. The other will be a physical meeting on 20 February to convene the inaugural meeting of the PSC Subcommittee on Post-Conflict Reconstruction and Development (PCRD). The final CoE meeting of the month will be held virtually on 23 February and will feature a briefing by the AU Artificial Intelligence Advisory Group on Governance, Peace and Security.

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) will assume the chairship of the African Union (AU) Peace and Security Council (PSC) for the month of January. The Provisional Programme of Work outlines six substantive sessions, of which five will focus on thematic issues, while one will address a country-specific situation. All sessions are scheduled to be held at the ambassadorial level. With the exception of the open session commemorating Africa Reconciliation Day and reflecting on lessons learned for countries affected by conflict, all meetings will be conducted as closed sessions.

On 12 January, the PSC is scheduled to consider and adopt the Provisional Programme of Work for February through official email correspondence. It is not clear if the recent practice whereby the incoming chairperson presents his/her vision of what is to be accomplished with the items proposed in the program of work is not followed systematically.

On 19 January, the PSC will convene its first substantive session to receive an update on the situation in South Sudan. The Council last considered the situation at its 1308th session on 28 October 2025, when it expressed grave concern over the political and security situation and the risk of relapse into violence. With much of the 2018 Revitalised Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan (R-ARCSS) systematically violated and intensifying conflicts, the PSC called for an all-inclusive, high-level political dialogue as the only viable path toward sustainable solutions. During the upcoming session, a key development likely to feature is the move to amend the R-ARCSS by delinking the general elections scheduled for December 2026 from the permanent constitution-making process, the national population census, and housing data. The Council of Ministers reportedly approved these amendments on 23 December, after which they are expected to undergo further institutional processes, including review by the Reconstituted Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (RJMEC) and ratification by the national legislature. While the government of President Salva Kiir has presented the amendments as a necessary step to facilitate long-delayed elections, opposition groups have rejected them as illegal, arguing that they were adopted without the consent of all parties to the Revitalised Agreement. The PSC is therefore expected to receive updates on these and related developments and their implications for the Agreement, as well as for peace and stability in South Sudan.

On 21 January, the Council will convene its bi-annual consideration of the half-year report of the Chairperson of the AU Commission on elections in Africa. Building on the 1288th session held on 3 July 2025, during which the PSC reviewed elections conducted across the continent in the first half of 2025, the forthcoming session is expected to focus on elections held between July and December 2025. The report is also anticipated to provide an overview of elections scheduled for 2026, with particular attention to those planned for the first half of the year. Elections held in the second half of 2025 that are likely to feature in the Council’s deliberations include those in Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Côte d’Ivoire, Egypt, Gabon, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, Malawi, Seychelles, Somalia, and Tanzania. Despite the attention and scrutiny that the elections in Cameroon and Tanzania attracted following reports of post-electoral violence accompanying Cameroon’s presidential election and Tanzania’s general elections, it is not anticipated that these elections will be subjected to critical scrutiny separate from other elections. The exception to this is the situation in Guinea-Bissau, where the largely credible election that had a clear winner was interrupted by a coup upon the military seizure of power by the ‘High Military Command for the Restoration of National Security and Public Order’. In addition to its treatment as part of the elections held in the second half of 2025, the PSC may also have a dedicated session to consider the conclusion of Guinea’s transition period, the general elections held on 28 December 2025, despite the lack of compliance with Article 25(4) of the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance (ACDEG).

On 23 January, the PSC will hold its third substantive session of the month to consider the ‘Report on the Activities of the Peace and Security Council and the State of Peace and Security in Africa’. Pursuant to Article 7 (q) of the PSC Protocol and in keeping with established institutional practice, the Council will, following its deliberations, transmit the report to the 39^th Ordinary Session of the AU Assembly, scheduled for mid-February 2026. The report is anticipated to present a consolidated account of the PSC’s undertakings during the reporting period, alongside an analytical appraisal of prevailing trends and developments shaping the continent’s peace and security environment.

On 28 January, the PSC will convene to discuss the revitalisation and consolidation of the Sanctions Sub-Committee. The session is expected to focus on clarifying the Sub-Committee’s terms of reference and mandate, as well as strengthening information-sharing and the exchange of experiences with experts from the United Nations Security Council. Notably, in 2025, the PSC did not convene any session to consider the activities of the Sub-Committee. Although the Sub-Committee was scheduled to meet on 24 June to provide updates on its work, there are no indications that this meeting took place. The forthcoming session is being held pursuant to a decision adopted by the PSC at its 1248th session, which requested the Sanctions Sub-Committee to urgently review the scope of its mandate to encompass violations of the AU Constitutive Act and the PSC Protocol beyond unconstitutional changes of government. In this context, the discussion is expected to revisit the AU’s sanctions framework, which has historically been applied primarily in cases of unconstitutional changes of government, and to assess the Union’s experience in investigating and sanctioning member states for breaches of other agreed norms. The session will also seek to draw lessons from United Nations best practices on investigations, the imposition of sanctions, and the monitoring and enforcement of compliance, with a view to adapting these processes to the AU context as relevant. Expanding the AU sanctions regime to address violations of other AU norms is therefore expected to constitute a central element of the deliberations.

On 29 January, the PSC will deliberate on the theme ‘Illegal exploitation of natural resources and proliferation of weapons in Africa as aggravating factors in conflicts: prospects for strengthening control mechanisms by the AU, Regional Economic Communities/Regional Mechanisms (RECs/RMs) and Member States’ with a focus on the Sahel, the Lake Chad Basin, Sudan, and the Great Lakes region. This is not the first time the DRC has placed this issue on the Council’s agenda during its chairship. In November 2024, at its 1246th session, the PSC, during DRC’s chairship, discussed strengthening mechanisms to curb the illegal exploitation of natural resources by armed and terrorist groups. At that session, the Council requested the AU Counter-Terrorism Centre (AUCTC) to undertake a study on the issue and tasked the AU Commission with developing robust mechanisms to combat the illicit exploitation and trade of natural resources. The session also comes against the backdrop of growing concern over the proliferation of weapons, which continues to fuel terrorism, organised crime, and violent conflicts across regions—from the Sahel and coastal West Africa to the Great Lakes—as recently noted by the AU High Representative for Silencing the Guns. Factors such as porous borders, weak stockpile management, inadequate arms transfer controls, and the expansion of terrorism and organised crime have exacerbated the problem. The upcoming meeting will therefore provide an opportunity to assess progress on previous PSC decisions and to explore ways of strengthening continental, regional, and national control mechanisms to address the illicit exploitation of natural resources and the proliferation of weapons.

The Council’s final engagement of the month will take place on 31 January, when it will convene an open session marking the fourth commemoration of the African Day of Peace and Reconciliation, with a focus on lessons for countries affected by conflict. The session is expected to facilitate comparative reflection on national reconciliation trajectories and to distil practical insights on how the AU can more effectively advance peace and reconciliation across the continent. The African Day of Peace and Reconciliation is observed annually on 31 January and has been commemorated on that date in each of the previous three cycles, following its designation at the 16^th Extraordinary Session of the AU Assembly of Heads of State and Government held in May 2022 in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, during which João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço was appointed as the AU Champion for Peace and Reconciliation in Africa.

In addition to the substantive sessions, the PSC’s Committee of Experts (CoE) is scheduled to convene virtually on two occasions during the month. From 14 to 16 January, the CoE will meet to consider the Report on the Activities of the Peace and Security Council and the State of Peace and Security in Africa. This will be followed by another virtual CoE meeting on 26 and 27 January, focusing on the revitalisation and consolidation of the PSC Sanctions Sub-Committee.