The Republic of Côte d’Ivoire will be chairing the African Union (AU) Peace and Security Council (PSC) in January 2025 through Ennio Maes, Permanent Representative of Côte d’Ivoire to the AU. The Provisional Programme of Work (PPoW) for the month envisages seven substantive sessions covering eight agenda items. Seven of the eight agenda items are on thematic issues while one is dedicated to a country situation. All the sessions are scheduled to take place at the ambassadorial level. No open session is stipulated in the PPoW.

The first session of the month, scheduled for 13 January, will consider the AU Commission’s report on the activities and mandate renewal of the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF), which is set to expire on 1 February 2025. The session is also expected to evaluate the security situation in the Lake Chad Basin (LCB) and the MNJTF’s efforts in countering Boko Haram and the two main splinter groups Jama’tu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati wal-Jihad (JAS) and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) who continue to pose significant threats to regional peace and security. Despite the MNJTF’s operational success in neutralising several Boko Haram elements and disrupting the group’s supply lines, critical developments such as Niger’s suspension of its MNJTF membership and Chad’s potential withdrawal pose significant challenges that could greatly weaken the coalition’s efforts.

On 20 January, the PSC will convene its second session on strengthening cooperation and collaboration between the PSC and RECs/RMs in the management of conflict and new security threats on the continent. In 2024, the PSC commendably convened two of its Inaugural Annual Joint Consultative Meetings with the Mediation and Security Council of ECOWAS in April in Abuja, Nigeria and Southern African Development Community (SADC) Organ on Politics, Defence, and Security in August in Gaborone, Botswana. These meetings aimed to enhance the coordination and collaboration between the PSC and RECs/RMs in line with Article 16 of the PSC Protocol and various PSC instruments, including the 2008 Memorandum of Understanding. This session is expected to discuss trends and developments in the relationship between the two levels and areas for collaboration and coordination in matters of peace and security with all regional blocs to enhance synergies in regional peace and security efforts.

The third session is expected to be held on 22 January and will be committed to receiving updates on the situation in Somalia and the deployment of the African Union Support and Stabilisation Mission (AUSSOM). The session will come shortly after the AUUSOM’s mandate is launched and will seek to assess the deployment of the mission in line with the CONOPS that the PSC adopted during its 1225^th session on 1 August and the Roadmap that was endorsed at the 8^th UN – AU High-Level Conference on 21 October 2024. Despite the clear timelines and processes outlined in various PSC communiques, the implementation of the final phase of ATMIS and, importantly, the finalisation of the preparation of the design and components of AUSSOM were not finalised as planned. ATMIS becomes AUSSOM on 1^st January before the process of ATMIS liquidation has been finalised. Resolution 2767 of the UN Security Council endorsing the decision of the PSC on the deployment of AUSSOM thus stipulated that the realignment of all AU troops from ATMIS to AUSSOM has to be completed by 30 June 2025. Additionally, the composition of AUSSOM, which, according to Somalia’s representative to the UN, was decided bilaterally rather than as envisaged in the PSC communiqué of the 1253^rd meeting of the PSC, remains a source of contestation.

On 24 January, the Council will convene the PSC’s bi-annual consideration of the half-year report of the Chairperson of the AU Commission on elections in Africa. Following the 1224^th session held on 25 July 2024, when the PSC considered the Chairperson’s report on elections conducted in the continent during the first half of 2024, the forthcoming session is expected to consider the report on elections conducted during the second half of the year July – December 2024. In addition, the report is also expected to provide information on upcoming elections taking place in 2025, with a focus on those expected to be held during the first half of the year. Some of the elections from the second half of 2024 that could be expected to feature in the report and thus generate some discussion in the PSC are Ghana, Senegal, Rwanda, Mauritius, Namibia, Mozambique, Tunisia and Guinea Bissau. Special attention may be given to Mozambique due to the post-electoral violence that erupted in Maputo and other cities following Mozambique’s general elections. Reports of election irregularities, including ballot stuffing and intimidation and the killing of PODEMOS members, led to protests that were met with deadly force by security forces. Tensions and instability are escalating following the confirmation of the results by the Constitutional Council.

On 28 January, the PSC will convene a session with two agenda items: Consideration of the report of the activities of the Peace and Security Council and the state of Peace and Security in Africa and consideration of the report on the Implementing of the AU Master Roadmap of Practical Steps to Silencing the Guns in Africa: Achievements, Challenges and Prospects. The first agenda item, in line with Article 7 (q) of the PSC protocol and established practice, will consider the report detailing the Council’s activities in 2024 and an assessment of Africa’s peace and security landscape and submit to the 38^th Ordinary Session of the AU Assembly scheduled to take place in February.

On 30 January the PSC will convene to receive an Update on the operationalisation of the African Standby Force (ASF). While the ASF is a key element of the African Peace and Security Architecture (APSA) as outlined in Article 2 (2) of the PSC protocol, its operationalisation has faced challenges. Though steps have been taken towards the operationalisation of the ASF, its full operationalisation remains a question of political will. On 12 May 2023, the 15^th Specialised Technical Committee of Defence, Safety and Security (STCDSS) adopted the MoU between the AU Commission and the RECs/RMs. The adoption of the MoU was a significant step towards clarifying the respective roles and responsibilities of the AU and the RECs/RMs in the planning, deployment, employment, and post-deployment stages of the ASF. Following this, during its 1159^th session held on 22 June 2023, the PSC requested the AU Commission to expedite the implementation of decisions of the 15^th meeting of the STCDSS, particularly the strategic review of the ASF. The AU Commission kicked off the process of strategic review of the ASF with a technical consultative meeting held in Algiers, Algeria, on 2-4 December 2024. It is expected that the PSC will receive updates on recent developments and the next steps towards the full operationalisation of the ASF.

The last activity of the Council will be a session on 31 January where the council will commemorate Africa Day of Peace and Reconciliation for the third time to discuss the state of peace and security on the continent, share experiences on national reconciliation and lessons learnt in how the AU can best advance peace and reconciliation. The African Day of Peace and Reconciliation is celebrated annually on January 31. It was designated at the 16^th Extraordinary Session of the African Union (AU) Assembly of Heads of State and Government in May 2022 in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea. The first commemoration took place on 31 January 2023, and the second on the same date in 2024. During the same summit, Angola’s President, João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço, was appointed as the AU Champion for Peace and Reconciliation in Africa.

The PSC Committee of Experts (CoE) is also scheduled to meet during the month, from 15 – 17 January, to consider the ‘Report on the Activities of the Peace and Security Council and the State of Peace and Security in Africa’ and on 21 and 23 January to consider the ‘Report the Implementing of the AU Master Roadmap of Practical Steps to Silencing the Guns in Africa: Achievements, Challenges and Prospects’ before both of these are tabled to the PSC on 28 January as elaborated above.