WHAT THIS REVIEW IS ABOUT AND WHY IT MATTERS

From an institutional perspective, the review’s value lies in systematically documenting the work of the PSC during the year and providing data and analysis-driven picture of the peace and security performance of the AU. It also contributes to identifying lessons from what transpired in 2024 that could be instructive for enhancing the effective functioning of the PSC in the execution of its mandate. Strategically, it draws out the geopolitical dynamics, threats and macro-level developments signifying the shifts affecting both the peace and security landscape and the functioning of the AU and its peace and security work, characterised by the various attributes of the emergence of a new era of insecurity and instability.

WHAT THIS REVIEW IS ABOUT AND WHY IT MATTERS

From an institutional perspective, the review’s value lies in systematically documenting the work of the PSC during the year and providing data and analysis-driven picture of the peace and security performance of the AU. It also contributes to identifying lessons from what transpired in 2024 that could be instructive for enhancing the effective functioning of the PSC in the execution of its mandate. Strategically, it draws out the geopolitical dynamics, threats and macro-level developments signifying the shifts affecting both the peace and security landscape and the functioning of the AU and its peace and security work, characterised by the various attributes of the emergence of a new era of insecurity and instability.

WHAT THIS REVIEW IS ABOUT AND WHY

How did the African Union (AU) Peace and Security Council (PSC), Africa’s premier peace and security decision-making body, fare in delivering on its mandate in the face of the prevailing peace and security challenges on the continent during the just concluded year? What are the salient features of PSC’s role in the maintenance of peace and security in Africa in 2023? These and related questions are the focus of our annual review of the PSC which presents analysis on the work of the PSC in 2023. As in the previous years, this year’s review draws on the data and research work we carried out on the PSC in 2023.

INTRODUCTION

The focus of this review is the presentation of analysis of the work of the PSC in 2022 drawing on the data and research work carried out on the PSC in 2022. This review is however set within the overall context of the prevailing peace and security landscape of the continent. Accordingly, our review of 2022 additionally presents overview of the state of peace and security highlighting the major issues of concern in Africa in the year and the trends and dynamics arising from these issues.

2021: MAJOR HIGHLIGHTS OF THE YEAR

As in the previous year, in 2021 the African Union (AU) Peace and Security Council (PSC) held its sessions virtually. One exception was the session of the PSC marking the 1000th meeting held on 25 May 2021, which took place using a hybrid format. Unlike the previous year when COVID19 measures froze all PSC activities other than those to be carried out virtually, in 2021 the PSC resumed undertaking activities (other than its meetings) that require in person engagement by members of the PSC. It thus held a retreat and its annual high-level seminar in person. Similarly, the PSC also undertook a number of field missions during the year.

2020 REVIEW OF THE PEACE AND SECURITY COUNCIL

As the year of the novel coronavirus (COVID19) pandemic, 2020 presented a unique challenge to the African Union (AU) Peace and Security Council (PSC), as it did to many institutions. In the work of the PSC, the year will be remembered more by the fact that the PSC sustained the continuity of its work in the face of the disruption COVID19 brought about across the world than by the deployment of any major new peace and security initiative. In this report, we provide a review of the work of the PSC during 2020, including how the PSC overcame the threat that COVID19 posed to the continuity of its work.

Highlights

Various important developments have been witnessed in the work of the PSC in 2019. One such most notable engagement of the PSC was its handling of the transition in Sudan following the ouster from power of Sudan’s longtime President Omar al-Bashir in April 2019 after sustained popular protest against his government for several months. Another important file with respect of which the PSC, working in tandem with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), achieved relative success in averting the derailment of the electoral process in the country and its descent into further political instability and violence was Guinea-Bissau. Although it has continued to face major challenges, another conflict situation in respect of which measures taken by the AU Commission, under the auspices of the PSC, in collaboration with the United Nations (UN) was the successful peace-making effort that led to the signing on 6 February of a peace agreement between the government of the Central African Republic (CAR) and 14 armed rebel groups in the CAR.

Highlights

During January to December 2018, the PSC held some 80 sessions. Convening an average of 6.5 meetings per month, the number of sessions for 2018 is less than the 96 sessions the PSC held in 2017. While more than 1/3 of the sessions of the PSC relate to country or region specific situations, the rest of the sessions relate to thematic issues, developments relating to the APSA and peace support operations. The dominance of thematic issues on the agenda of the PSC has been a feature of many of the monthly programs of work of the PSC. Out of the 6.5 sessions that are held on average per month, more than half related to thematic issues.