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.