Peace & Security Council Report

The August 2018 Peace & Security Council Report by the Institute for Security Studies examines several African Union (AU) challenges, including the shift in the AU's approach to Western Sahara, tensions over LGBTI rights and the independence of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, institutional friction between the AU and the Southern African Development Community (SADC), and the need for non-military stabilisation strategies in the Lake Chad basin to combat Boko Haram.

• The African Union (AU) decided at its 31st summit in Nouakchott to limit its peace efforts in Western Sahara to support a United Nations (UN) led process. This decision is a reversal of a January 2018 decision that called for joint AU and UN facilitated talks for a referendum. The AU will now engage through a troika of heads of state (outgoing, current, and incoming AU chairpersons) and the AU Commission chairperson, effectively limiting the Peace and Security Council's (PSC) involvement to the level of heads of state.
• The AU's decision to limit the PSC's role in Western Sahara may set a precedent that allows other member states to bypass the PSC's ambassadorial-level deliberations in favor of UN processes. This could undermine the PSC's relevance and working methods, as summits for heads of state occur infrequently and may lack binding decisions.
• The AU Executive Council has pressured the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR) to withdraw the observer status of the Coalition of African Lesbians (CAL) by 31 December 2018. This conflict highlights tensions between the ACHPR's mandate to protect human rights and the views of AU member states, many of whom view homosexuality as 'un-African'. As of May 2017, 32 of 54 African countries criminalise homosexual practices.
• The ACHPR faces challenges to its functional independence, as AU member states have provided little of its budget, leaving it dependent on external donors. Member states have also warned the commission to ensure confidentiality and due diligence before reporting allegations against states, reflecting unease with reports critical of governments.
• Friction exists between the AU and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) regarding institutional reforms and the post-Cotonou negotiations with the European Union (EU). SADC opposes the AU's preference for a new relationship with Europe negotiated solely through the AU Commission, instead favoring the maintenance of the ACP (Africa, Caribbean and Pacific) negotiating team. SADC also expressed concerns that some AU reform decisions were made at retreats without proper consultation with the Executive Council and Permanent Representatives Committee.
• Combatting Boko Haram in the Lake Chad basin requires a regional stabilisation strategy that addresses root causes such as poverty, marginalisation, and environmental pressures, as military force alone has been insufficient. In the Far North Province of Cameroon, 74.3% of the population lives below the poverty line. Additionally, 90% of Lake Chad's water surface area has dried up, increasing resource conflicts.
• There is a lack of a common regional approach to the amnesty and de-radicalisation of Boko Haram defectors. Nigeria uses a 16-week vocational programme via Operation Safe Corridor, while Cameroon employs traditional ceremonies involving the Quran. These divergent programmes fail to account for the fluid citizenship of border communities.
• UN Special Envoy Nicholas Haysom notes that while a power-sharing deal was signed in South Sudan on 5 August 2018, sustainability depends on political will, financial transparency, and inclusive engagement. He highlights a 'security gap' in the current agreements and warns that the conflict has taken on an ethnic character, leading to more cruel destruction of communities.

APA

Ani, N. C., & Louw-Vaudran, L. (2018). Peace & Security Council Report. Institute for Security Studies. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/psc-105.pdf

Chicago

Ani, Ndubuisi Christian, and Liesl Louw-Vaudran. Peace & Security Council Report. Institute for Security Studies, 2018. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/psc-105.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Ani |first1=Ndubuisi Christian |last2=Louw-Vaudran |first2=Liesl |title=Peace & Security Council Report |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |date=August 2018 |url=https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/psc-105.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{ani2018peace, author = {Ani, Ndubuisi Christian and Louw-Vaudran, Liesl}, title = {{Peace \& Security Council Report}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2018}, month = aug, url = {https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/psc-105.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }