Adopted by the Peace and Security Council (PSC) of the African Union (AU) at its 1248^th meeting held at the Ministerial Level on 28 November 2024, on the Discussion on Experiences and Lessons Learned in the Implementation of the PSC Mandate in line with the AU Constitutive Act and the PSC Protocol.

The Peace and Security Council,

Recalling the AU Principles as enshrined in Article 4 of the AU Constitutive Act; The Principles of the PSC as stipulated in Article 4 of the Protocol; as well as all relevant decisions of the AU Assembly on matters relating to the promotion of peace, security and stability in the African Continent;

Determined to create the conducive conditions for the realization of the AU Vision of an integrated, prosperous and peaceful Africa, driven by its own citizens and representing a dynamic force in global arena.

Re-affirming the unwavering commitment to ensure the effective implementation of the AU Master Roadmap of Practical Steps to Silence the Guns in Africa by the Year 2030, so as to facilitate the realization of aspirations enshrined in the AU Agenda 2063, as well as the achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (UN Agenda 2030);

Deeply concerned by the peace, security and stability challenges facing the Continent, and committed to eradicate them, in order to ensure and guarantee the human security and wellbeing of all African people;

Acknowledging the plethora of challenges negatively impacting on the institutional capacity of the PSC to more effectively discharge its mandate in line with the provisions of the AU Constitutive Act and the PSC Protocol;

Noting the opening remarks by H.E. Therese Kayikwamba Wagner, Minister of State, Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation and Francophonie of the Democratic Republic of Congo and Chairperson of the PSC for November 2024 and the Introductory Statement by H.E. Ambassador Bankole Adeoye, AU Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security; and

Acting under Article 7 of its Protocol, the Peace and Security Council:

1. Underlines the need and obligation for all Member States to reaffirm their commitment to uphold and fully respect the AU principles as enshrined in the AU Constitutive Act, the PSC Protocol and other AU legal instruments particularly, respect for the sovereignty, territorial integrity and national unity of Member States, good neighborliness, respect for the borders of Member States, non-interference in internal affairs of other Member States, peaceful coexistence, and peaceful resolution of disputes;

2. Concerned about the rise in conflicts and tensions on the continent and their tragic consequences for millions of civilians, including humanitarian consequences, and the destruction of the economic fabric and infrastructure, calls on all Member States and the international community to continue to assist internally displaced persons, refugees and returnees, as well as countries hosting refugees; and also calls for stronger support to countries emerging from conflicts in the area of reconciliation and stabilization, support for DDR-PCRD peacebuilding programmes to prevent a relapse into conflict and the full operationalization of the Post-Conflict Reconstruction and Development Centre (PCRD); 

3. While reiterating the need to ensure the full and immediate implementation of the UN Security Council Resolution 2719 (2023) on financing AU-led Peace Support Operations, emphasizes  the need for redoubling financial mobilization efforts for the overall AU peace and security agenda; and in this regard, encourages Member States in a position to do so, and the private sector, to continue making voluntary contributions to the AU Peace Fund; further underscores the need for redoubled efforts in exploring alternative sources of funding from within the Continent, with a view to ensuring self-reliance and promoting African solutions to African problems;

4. Consistent with the provisions of Article 16 of the PSC Protocol, underscores the importance of regular interactions between the PSC and RECs/RMs to ensure a common understanding of the realities of the peace and security dynamics prevailing in the Continent; enhance strategic convergence of responses, as well as the need to ensure complementarity of efforts in addressing peace and security threats facing the Continent and, in this respect, calls for a replication, institutionalization and regularization of the bilateral consultations between the PSC and similar entities of the RECs/RMs, such as those  undertaken, respectively, between the PSC and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and Southern Africa Development Community (SADC), in April 2024 and in August 2024, respectively; 

5. Emphasizes the need to restore the primacy of diplomacy as the principal tool for effective prevention, management and peaceful settlement of conflicts and, in this context, calls for further strengthening of the Continental Early Warning System and full utilization of all available tools, including the Panel of the Wise and its subsidiary mechanisms, and similar entities of the RECs/RMs;  

6. Encourages Member States and RECs/RMs to contribute towards strengthening the Continental Early Warning System, among others by positively considering credible early warning reports on looming crises, with a view to further enhance the conflict prevention mandate of Council;

7. Underlines the need for the Continental Early Warning System to devote particular attention to the challenges that can potentially impact negatively on intra state stability, and inter-state relations, while stressing the quest for sustainable amicable solutions and courageous early response initiatives aimed at de-escalating both intra and inter-state tensions;

8. Mindful of the indivisibility of peace and security, and the need for ensuring African ownership and leadership of peace efforts in the Continent, underscores the importance for the PSC to continue to actively pursue multi-layered strategic partnerships for peace with similar international entities, in line with the provisions of Article 17 of the PSC Protocol;  

9. Stresses the need to further strengthen the institutional capacity of the PSC, among others by fully operationalizing all PSC Sub-Committees; enhancing the human resources capacity of the PSC Members and of the Secretariat, as well as of the AU Liaison Offices, conducting regular capacity building programmes, as well as to utilize the African Standby Force, where necessary, to support the effort of the Council, consistent with the provisions of Article 2 (2) and Article 13 as well as Article 15 (3) of the PSC Protocol;

10. Calls for continued engagements between the PSC and Member States under suspension, in order to provide the necessary support during their transition processes with the view to ensuring their timely conclusion of the transitional road maps, and requests the PSC Sub-committee on Sanctions to monitor the implementation of PSC decisions in this regard and provide recommendations to the PSC;

11. Also requests the Sanctions Sub-Committee of the PSC to consider the extension of its scope beyond the current limitation to unconstitutional changes of government through military coups d’état to cover cases of violations of the Constitutive Act, human rights, war crimes and crimes against humanity;

12. Underlines the need for the PSC to regularly review its working methods and all available tools, and to adapt them to contemporary peace and security dynamics in the Continent, to enable the Council to effectively discharge its mandate;

13. Requests the AU Commission to urgently implement the Decisions of the AU Assembly, with a view to ensuring equitable regional representation in the Membership of the PSC;

14. Calls on Member States, to adopt comprehensive, whole of society-whole of government integrated and multidimensional approaches based on the nexus between peace, security and development to efficiently promote and consolidate peace including through mainstreaming the critical role of women and youth, as well as community leaders, leaders of various religious persuasions, civil society, the media and the private sector, in peace processes; 

15. Encourages all Member States to respect all AU instruments and frameworks for the promotion of peace and security in the Continent including the Common African Defence and Security Policy, as well as the AU Non-Aggression and Common Defence Pact, with a view to facilitating the efficacy of Africa Solutions to African Problems;

16. Urges Member States to undertake deliberate measures to address the underlying root causes and structural drivers of conflict on the continent, including through establishing deliberate socio-economic programs aimed at economically empowering the people, especially the Women and Youth in order to not only capture the hearts and minds of the people but also re-orient them away from the politics of identity to the politics of interests.

17. Underscores the need to ensure expeditious implementation of all decisions of the AU Assembly and of the PSC on peace and security in Africa, including availing the necessary financial resources to facilitate their implementation;

18. Acknowledging the link between illegal exploitation and illegal trade in illicit natural resources and the stoking and aggravation of conflicts in Africa, strongly condemns the illegal exploitation and illegal trade in natural resources and calls on all entities concerned to immediately end these practices and encourages Member States to strengthen their regulatory instruments and mechanisms;

19. Stresses the need for a comprehensive approach to combating the financing of non-State illegal armed groups, negative forces, and terrorist organizations, by implementing a multidimensional strategy that more effectively restricts the financial lifelines of such groups;

20. Calls for an AU Treaty on natural resources governance, taking into consideration the provisions of Article 21 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, and building on the African Mining Vision by extending coverage beyond mineral resources;

21. Concerned about the problem of the implementation of the decisions of the PSC by Member States, requests in this regard that enhanced surveillance mechanisms for the effective implementation of the decisions of the PSC should be considered; and 

22. Decides to remain actively seized of the matter.

COMMENTS