Peace & Security Council Report

This November 2018 report from the Institute for Security Studies analyzes recent activities of the African Union (AU) Peace and Security Council (PSC), focusing on institutional reforms led by Rwandan President Paul Kagame, political instability in Somalia, the 2018 elections in Madagascar, and the fragile peace process in South Sudan.

• African Union heads of state approved institutional reforms to the AU Commission to improve efficiency and reduce duplication. The structure will shift from eight to six commissions by 2021, covering areas such as Political Affairs, Peace and Security, and Infrastructure and Energy. The leadership will be reduced from 10 to eight top senior officials, and a non-elective director-general for operational coordination will be created.
• President Paul Kagame has pushed for African integration through the launch of the African Continental Free Trade Area agreement, the Protocol on the Free Movement of People, and the Single African Air Transport Market. However, the report notes that the politics of national sovereignty remains a significant barrier to addressing governance challenges.
• Political stability in Somalia is threatened by severe tensions between the federal government and federal states over resource allocation, power sharing, and allegations of political interference. These tensions are viewed as the 'single biggest threat to progress' in the country, potentially undermining gains made against al-Shabaab.
• The November 7, 2018, presidential elections in Madagascar saw a return of former presidents Andry Rajoelina and Marc Ravalomanana, who were previously excluded from the 2013 elections. With a voter turnout of 57%, the race remained close, leading to a second round of voting scheduled for December 19.
• A revised peace agreement signed in South Sudan on September 12, 2018, is described as only a 'first step' toward ending the five-year war. While hostilities have declined and some opposition leaders returned to Juba for celebrations on October 31, the agreement's success depends on building trust between President Salva Kiir and Riek Machar.
• The PSC has held numerous meetings on regional conflicts—including those in Libya, Lesotho, and the Central African Republic—but has launched few new initiatives. In Lesotho, the PSC commended the SADC standby brigade's deployment as a successful example of the African Standby Force (ASF).
• The PSC is addressing social and security priorities across the continent, including the establishment of migration observatory centres in five geographical regions and the development of monitoring mechanisms to end child marriage, noting that 4 out of 10 girls in Africa are married before age 18.

APA

Diatta, M., Ani, N. C., Louw-Vaudran, L., & Attah-Asamoah, A. (2018). Peace & Security Council Report. Institute for Security Studies. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/psc-108.pdf

Chicago

Diatta, Mohamed, Ndubuisi Christian Ani, Liesl Louw-Vaudran, and Andrews Attah-Asamoah. Peace & Security Council Report. Institute for Security Studies, 2018. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/psc-108.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Diatta |first1=Mohamed |last2=Ani |first2=Ndubuisi Christian |last3=Louw-Vaudran |first3=Liesl |last4=Attah-Asamoah |first4=Andrews |title=Peace & Security Council Report |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |date=November 2018 |url=https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/psc-108.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{diatta2018peace, author = {Diatta, Mohamed and Ani, Ndubuisi Christian and Louw-Vaudran, Liesl and Attah-Asamoah, Andrews}, title = {{Peace \& Security Council Report}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2018}, month = nov, url = {https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/psc-108.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }