Adopted by the Peace and Security Council (PSC) of the African Union (AU) at its 1258^th meeting held on 31 January 2025 on the Third (3^rd) Commemoration of Africa Day of Peace and Reconciliation.

The Peace and Security Council,

Noting the opening remarks by H.E. Ambassador Ennio Maes, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire to the AU and Chairperson of the PSC of the AU for January 2025; and the introductory statement by H.E. Ambassador Bankole Adeoye, the AU Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security;

Welcoming the Special Message of H.E. João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço, President of the Republic of Angola and AU Champion for Peace and Reconciliation, on the occasion of the 3^rd  Commemoration of the Africa Day for Peace and Reconciliation; who wished a happy peace day and reconciliation in Africa and underlined the efforts undertaken towards promotion of peace in the continent;

Also noting the presentations by the representatives of the Republic of Angola and by Dr Vasu Gounden, Founder of the African Centre for the Constructive Resolution of Disputes (ACCORD); as well as the Statements by Hon. Lady Justice (Rtd) Effie Owuor, Judge of the Court of Appeals of Kenya and Chairperson of the AU Panel of the Wise and by H.E. Parfait Onanga-Anyanga, Special Representative of United Nations Secretary-General to the AU (UNOAU);

Recalling the Assembly Decision [Assembly/AU/Dec.501(XXII)], adopted by the 22^nd  Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the Union, held on 30 January 2014 declaring 2014 to 2024 as the Madiba Nelson Mandela Decade for Reconciliation in Africa;

Also recalling its previous decisions and pronouncements on peace and reconciliation in Africa, in particular, Communiqué [PSC/PR/COMM.1198 (2024)] adopted at its 1198^th meeting held on 31 January 2024, in commemoration of the 2^nd Africa Day of Peace and Reconciliation, which among others, highlighted the need to create spaces for meaningful intercultural dialogue to ensure that people of different ethnicities, religions and communities engage and promote mutual understanding; and

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

1. Welcomes the 3^rd Commemoration of the Africa Day for Peace and Reconciliation; and undescores the need to continue promoting the culture of peace, tolerance, justice, forgiveness, and reconciliation as an important step for conflict prevention, especially in post-conflict communities;

2. Emphasizes that the journey toward peace requires commitment from all stakeholders, prioritizing restorative justice, healing, and inclusive, transparent and accountable governance; and encourages the cultivation of a spirit of reconciliation that transforms past grievances into a foundation for a harmonious and thriving Africa;

3. Commends, H.E. Joao Manual Gonçalves Laurenço, the President of the Republic of Angola, for his dedication and personal commitment as the AU Champion for peace and reconciliation; and re-affirms the continued commitment of Council to support his efforts;

4. Underscores the importance of further strengthening the Continental Early Warning  System and preventive diplomacy in the Continent; and encourages Member States to redouble efforts in holistically and comprehensively addressing all structural root causes and drivers of violent conflicts in the Continent, particularly governance-related factors, guided by the approach of peace, security and development nexus;

5. Highlights the need to strengthen democratic institutions, building strong, transparent, and accountable institutions to prevent conflict; and emphasizes the need for the reinforcement of all AU peace and security frameworks and mechanisms, including the Post-Conflict Reconstruction and Development (PCRD) frameworks, to effectively promote sustainable peace and stability;

6. Calls for the domestication of the commemoration of the Africa Day of Peace and Reconciliation at Regional and national levels; in this respect, highlights the need for the “Africa Day of Peace and Reconciliation” to be aligned with efforts to advance the implementation of the AU Transitional Justice Policy, which provides a roadmap, ensuring that reconciliation is built on accountability, truth-telling, and social cohesion;

7. Emphasizes the need for promoting inter-generational dialogue, with a view to addressing the legitimate concerns and grievances of the youth and ensuring inclusion of women, youth, and local voices in the dialogue and reconciliation processes; and underlines the need to deploy efforts to utilize Indigenous approaches, leveraging traditional conflict resolution mechanisms and Indigenous knowledge, with a view to promoting local ownership;

8. Also emphasizes the imperative to capitalize on education and awareness, in particular, of children and youth, about the importance of peace, tolerance, and coexistence, which can foster a culture of peace; in this respect, encourages the inclusion of peace education into school curricula and community programmes which can be a crucial tool in nurturing harmony and ultimately achieving peace within society;

9. Underscores the imperative of further enhancing cooperation and complementarity of efforts between the AU Member States, AU Champions, AU High Representatives and Envoys, Regional Economic Communities and Regional Mechanisms (RECs/RMS), and other actors on the Continent; and encourages Member States, RECs/RMs, development partners, the private sector, civil society organizations, community leaders, leaders of various religious persuasions, as well as the media to support AU peace and reconciliation efforts in the Continent;

10. Also underscores the need for effectively following up, monitoring and evaluating the implementation of peace agreements and encourages the parties to peace agreements to fully commit to their full implementation within the stipulated timelines;

11. Encourages the parties to conflicts in Africa to embrace dialogue as the only viable path to sustainable solutions to the challenges facing their countries; and highlights the imperative to promote inclusive transparent political transitions, peace, reconciliation and development processes in the Continent; and

12. Decides to remain actively seized of the matter. 

COMMENTS