PRESS STATEMENT

 The Peace and Security Council (PSC) of the African Union (AU) dedicated its 1342^nd meeting held on 28 April 2026, to a Briefing on the Situation in Mali.

Council recalled all of its previous communiqués and press statements on the situation in Mali and in the Sahel region, in particular Communique [PSC/PR/COMM.1027 (2021)] adopted at its 1027^th meeting held on 2 September 2021; Communique [PSC/PR/COMM.1001(2021)] adopted at its 1001^st meeting held on 1 June 2021; and Communique [PSC/PR/COMM. 1000 (2021)] adopted at its 1000^th meeting held on 25 May 2021;

Council also recalled all relevant AU normative instruments, including the AU Constitutive Act; the Protocol Relating to the Establishment of the Peace and Security Council of the African Union; the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance; and the Declaration on the Framework for an OAU Response to Unconstitutional Changes of Government, adopted by the 36^th Ordinary Session of the OAU Assembly of Heads of State and Government, held in Lomé, Togo, in July 2000 (the Lomé Declaration); 

Council reaffirmed the unwavering commitment of the AU to respect the sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity of Mali, as well as AU solidarity with the people and the transitional government of Mali;

Council took note of the Opening Remarks by H.E. Ambassador Hirut Zemene Kassa, Permanent Representative of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia to the AU and PSC Chairperson for the month of April 2026; the Introductory Statement by H.E. Ambassador Bankole Adeoye, AU Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security, as well as the briefing by H.E. Dr. Mamadou Tangara, the Special Representative of the Chairperson of the Commission and Head of AU Mission in Mali and Sahel (MISAHEL), and the Statement by the Representative of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS);

Council expressed deep concern over the widespread coordinated attacks, systematic killings and displacements of the Malian population by the Azawad Liberation Front and the Jama’at Nusrat al -Islam wa-Muslimin (JNIM) terrorist groups, which took place on 25 and 26 April 2025 throughout Mali, including in Gao, Kidal and in the capital city, Bamako;

Council condemned in the strongest terms, the assassination of the Minister of Defence, H.E. General Sadio Kamara and the systematic killings, as well as all other terrorist acts in Mali. Council expressed solidarity and sincere condolences to the people and transitional authorities of Mali and wished a speedy recovery to all those who sustained injuries from the attacks;

Council expressed deep concern over the fast-deteriorating security situation in the country and the entire Sahel region and, in this regard, mindful of the indivisibility of security, emphasized the importance of a “whole of society and whole of region approach” in responding to the scourge of terrorism and violent extremism, within the framework of collective security;

Council stressed that all efforts to address the current crisis must be comprehensive and multidimensional, and must fully respect Mali’s national sovereignty, while supporting the restoration of stability and state authority throughout the Malian territory;

Council urged the transitional authorities to expedite the restoration of constitutional order, with a view to creating conducive conditions for durable peace, security and stability as well as prosperity, in order to alleviate the suffering of the Malian people;

Council urged the Malian transitional authorities to reconsider their positions toward ECOWAS and, in this regard, to reopen the lines of communication with the regional body with a view to facilitating dialogue within the framework of constructive engagement, as well as the flow of support to their efforts in addressing the challenges at hand;

Council supported the call by the Chairperson of the Commission for the intensification of constructive engagement efforts with the Malian transitional authorities;

Council encouraged the transitional authorities of Mali to spare no efforts in addressing in a holistic and inclusive manner, all structural root causes and factors that fuel and sustain terrorism, including governance related factors, and strengthen national cohesion;

Council also encouraged the AU Commission to reinforce preventive diplomacy efforts by intensifying high-level engagement with the Malian transitional authorities, with a view to promoting inclusive political dialogue, restoring constitutional order, and establishing a credible and time-bound transition roadmap;

Council called for enhanced coordination between Mali, neighbouring countries, and regional mechanisms, particularly in the areas of intelligence and information sharing, joint operations, joint border management and coordinated counter-terrorism efforts in general;

Council requested the AU Commission to scale up technical and operational support to Mali’s security sector, including in terms of capacity-building, early warning, and strategic advisory support in full compliance with the AU normative frameworks and international human rights law (IHRL) and international humanitarian law (IHL);

Council underscored the imperative of placing the protection of civilians at the core of all response efforts, and called on all parties to ensure the safety, dignity, and human rights of affected populations;

Council emphasized the need for urgent mobilization of a coordinated humanitarian response, in collaboration with international partners, including United Nations (UN) and humanitarian aid agencies, to address the needs of internally displaced persons and vulnerable communities, as well as to ensure safe and unhindered humanitarian access to affected populations;

Council encouraged strengthened coordination between the ECOWAS, AU and UN, as well as with other strategic partners to ensure a coherent, harmonized, and more impactful response to the crisis, including through joint assessments and aligned recovery and stabilization efforts;

Council requested the Chairperson of the Commission to continue to closely monitor the situation in Mali and to regularly provide updated briefings to Council; and

Council agreed to remain actively seized of the matter.

COMMENTS