COMMUNIQUE

Adopted by the Peace and Security Council (PSC) of the African Union (AU), at its 1328th meeting, Open Session, held on Friday, 30 January 2026 on the Fourth Commemoration of Africa Day of Peace and Reconciliation and Lessons Learnt and Experiences of Angola, Sierra Leone and South Africa.

The Peace and Security Council,

Recalling Declaration [Ext/Assembly/AU/Decl.XVI] adopted by the 16^th Extraordinary Session of the Assembly of the Union held on 28 May 2022, instituting 31 January of each year as “Africa Day of Peace and Reconciliation” and Decision [Assembly/AU/Dec.501(XXII)] adopted by the 22^nd Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the Union, declaring 2014 to 2024 as the Nelson Mandela Decade for Reconciliation in Africa;

Also recalling its previous pronouncements and decisions on the Commemoration of the Africa Day of Peace and Reconciliation, in particular, Communiqué [PSC/PR/COMM.1258 (2025)] adopted at its 1258th meeting, held on 31 January 2025;

Reaffirming its commitment to spare no efforts to achieve the Aspirations of AU Agenda 2063 particularly Aspiration number 4, namely, a peaceful and secure Africa;

Taking note of the opening remarks by H.E. Ambassador Jean Leon Illunga Ngandu, Permanent Representative of the Democratic Republic of Congo to the African Union and Chairperson of the Peace and Security Council for January 2026, the Statement by H.E. João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço, President of the Republic of Angola, AU Chairperson and AU Champion for Peace and Reconciliation in Africa; the introductory statement by Ms. Patience Chiradza, Director for Governance and Conflict Prevention, on behalf of H.E. Ambassador Bankole Adeoye, Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security;

Also taking note of the presentation by H.E. Dr. Ambassador Welile Nhlapo, Senior Political Advisor to the African Centre for the Constructive Resolution of Disputes (ACCORD); and the statements by the Representatives of the Republic of Angola, the Republic of Sierra Leone and the Republic of South Africa; as well as the statements by the representatives of  the United Nations and the International Committee of the Red Cross; and

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

1. Welcomes the 4^th Commemoration of the Africa Day of Peace and Reconciliation; and emphasizes the need for continued efforts in promoting the culture of peace, tolerance, justice, forgiveness and reconciliation particularly in countries emerging from violent conflict situations;

2. Expresses deep concern over the ongoing conflicts in parts of the continent with all the attendant disastrous consequences, including losses of lives, humanitarian crises such as population displacements, destruction of infrastructure, the environment and derailment of national development; and emphasizes the need for a meaningful intercultural dialogue to promote mutual understanding among people of different ethnicities, religious and political orientation;

3. Commends H.E. João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço, President of the Republic of Angola, AU Chairperson and AU Champion for Peace and Reconciliation in Africa, for his personal commitment to promoting peace and reconciliation in Africa;

4. Also commends H.E.  Faure Gnassingbé,  President of Togolese Republic, AU lead mediator for the conflict in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), for his leadership in the pursuit of lasting peace in the eastern DRC;

5. Further commends Member States for their relentless efforts in the promotion of peace and reconciliation in the continent;

6. Applauds the AU Commission for working with Member States in creating spaces for meaningful intercultural and intergenerational dialogue, including promoting peaceful coexistence in diversity;

7. Encourages all parties to conflicts to prioritise the supreme interests of their countries and people above all else, and to embrace dialogue as the only viable approach for breaking the cycle of violence and effectively resolving conflict with a view to promoting sustainable peace, stability and national reconciliation;

8. Reiterates the need for Member States to include peace and reconciliation education in their national education curricula, particularly targeting the youth, as well as to ensure meaningful participation of the youth and women at all levels in all peace processes;

9. Also encourages Member States that have successfully promoted national reconciliation to share their experiences with those Member States grappling with the challenge of deep polarization, particularly along political and ethnic lines;  and in this regard; congratulates the Republic of Angola, the Republic of Sierra Leone and the Republic of South Africa for sharing their experiences and lessons as well as best practices on national reconciliation and cohesion;

10. Expresses appreciation  to all AU Special envoys, AU Panel of the Wise, FemWise, Wise Youth, and AU mediators, for their efforts towards the promotion of peace and reconciliation in the Continent;

11. Reiterates the importance of further strengthening the Continental Early Warning System and preventive diplomacy on the continent;

12. Underscores the importance of inclusivity in all aspects of governance as a success factor in promoting peaceful and reconciled societies; and also underscores the importance of combating impunity and promoting accountability and justice, particularly in societies emerging from violent conflicts;

13. Emphasizes the importance of recourse to tried and tested traditional approaches for promoting justice, peace and reconciliation, including the Gacaca system in Rwanda, the Truth and Reconciliation in South Africa, Sierra Leone's Truth and healing processes, and the approaches used in Angola;

14. Also reiterates the call to Member States to redouble efforts to holistically and comprehensively address all structural root causes and drivers of conflict in the continent, particularly governance deficits, including promoting equitable national development programmes that effectively address regional disparities and inequalities; as well as the importance of using inclusive ‘whole of government-whole of society’ approaches.

15. Stresses the need for parties to conflict to uphold and respect their commitments under International Humanitarian Law (IHL) and International Human Rights Law (IHRL) and to guarantee civilian protection and strongly warn perpetrators of atrocities that they will be held accountable for their actions;

16. Commends the efforts being deployed by the AU PCRD Centre and encourages the Centre to continue supporting Member States emerging from violent conflicts to enhance their resilience and prevent relapses;

17. Emphasizes the need for enhanced synergies between the AU PCRD Centre and the United Nations Peacebuilding Commission;

18. Also emphasize the need for Member States to deepen and consolidate democracy, defend constitutionalism and respect human rights, as well as the need for Member States to be responsive to the legitimate aspirations of their people; and

19. Decides to remain actively seized of the matter.

COMMENTS