Peace & Security Council Report

The July 2019 Peace & Security Council Report examines the progress of African Union (AU) institutional reforms, the coordination between the AU and Regional Economic Communities (RECs), and specific political transitions in The Gambia and Algeria. It also analyzes the potential for the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) to stabilize the Horn of Africa and evaluates the 'Silencing the Guns' initiative.

• The African Union (AU) and Regional Economic Communities (RECs) are working to define their division of labour across six technical areas: policy planning and formulation, policy adoption, implementation, monitoring and information, partnerships, and joint resource mobilisation. Implementation and monitoring are identified as the weakest points, leading to a proposal for the AU Commission (AUC) to organize annual consultations to track progress on the African Peace and Security Architecture and the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance.
• A proposed new protocol on AU–REC relations aims to replace the 2008 version by broadening its scope to include the blue economy, migration, the environment, and the African governance architecture. The draft protocol introduces new coordination structures, including a mid-year coordination meeting, a Committee on Coordination, and a Coordination Secretariat, and allows for sanctions against RECs that lag in implementation or conflict with AU treaties.
• AU institutional reforms, championed by Rwandan President Paul Kagame, aimed to streamline summits and reduce costs, including a plan to limit ordinary Assembly sessions to one per year. However, the July 2019 extraordinary summit in Niamey for the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) undermined this goal, as over 30 heads of state attended, effectively mirroring a normal summit.
• The AU Peace Fund has grown to US$120.7 million, which the AU views as an 'instrument of sovereignty' to enable mediation in crises, such as those in Sudan and the Central African Republic, without relying on external partner funding.
• The 'Silencing the Guns by 2020' initiative is unlikely to meet its original deadline due to operational and institutional obstacles, including violent extremism in the Sahel and Lake Chad Basin, and conflicts in South Sudan, Mali, Libya, and the Central African Republic. The AU has established a Silencing the Guns Unit and appointed a High Representative to develop a revised action plan beyond 2020.
• The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), launched on 7 July 2019, creates a free trade zone for 1.2 billion people with a GDP of approximately US$3.4 trillion. While it could foster peace through economic interdependence, implementation in the Horn of Africa is hindered by securitized borders, illicit trade in gold and charcoal, and territorial disputes, such as the oil-rich border between Sudan and South Sudan in the Abiye region.
• Democratisation in The Gambia remains fragile nearly three years after the ousting of Yahya Jammeh. Progress is slowed by socio-political divisions, resistance to the Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission (TRRC), and sensitivities regarding the downsizing of the army, which is largely composed of the Diola ethnic group.
• Algeria faces significant political uncertainty following the removal of President Abdelaziz Bouteflika. A stand-off exists between the government—specifically the military led by Lieutenant General Ahmed Gaïd Salah—and a leaderless protest movement. The transition is further complicated by a petrol-dependent economy in decline and the threat of Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb.

APA

Diatta, M., Louw-Vaudran, L., Attah-Asamoah, A., Woldemichael, S., Toupane, M., Kujeke, M., Herbert, M., & Andemariam, S. W. (2019). Peace & Security Council Report. Institute for Security Studies. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/psc-115.pdf

Chicago

Diatta, Mohamed, Liesl Louw-Vaudran, Andrews Attah-Asamoah, Shewit Woldemichael, Maurice Toupane, Muneinazvo Kujeke, Matt Herbert, and Senai W Andemariam. Peace & Security Council Report. Institute for Security Studies, 2019. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/psc-115.pdf.

Wikipedia

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BibTeX

@techreport{diatta2019peace, author = {Diatta, Mohamed and Louw-Vaudran, Liesl and Attah-Asamoah, Andrews and Woldemichael, Shewit and Toupane, Maurice and Kujeke, Muneinazvo and Herbert, Matt and Andemariam, Senai W}, title = {{Peace \& Security Council Report}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2019}, month = jul, url = {https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/psc-115.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }