Peace & Security Council Report

The 2021 AU Peace and Security Council (PSC) report notes a positive shift toward addressing climate-induced insecurity but criticizes the council for ignoring governance deficits as root causes of conflict. The report highlights the PSC's response to military coups in Mali, Guinea, and Sudan, while noting a controversial endorsement of a military transition in Chad. Looking toward 2022, it warns of potential electoral violence in Kenya, Angola, and Senegal, and identifies several conflict hotbeds, including Ethiopia and Libya. It also emphasizes the ongoing threat of violent extremism in the Sahel, Lake Chad Basin, and Mozambique, while noting the AU's struggle with member state funding and the need for strategic autonomy.

• In 2021, the AU Peace and Security Council (PSC) shifted its focus toward long-term human security issues, specifically addressing the link between climate change and insecurity for the first time at the heads of state level during meetings in March and October.
• The PSC is criticized for failing to address the governance deficits and root causes of conflict, often avoiding the listing of member states on its agenda due to fears of reciprocity or external pressure. This is exemplified by the council's hesitation to discuss the situation in northern Mozambique while Mozambique chaired a ministerial meeting on terrorism.
• The PSC responded to unconstitutional changes of government in 2021 by suspending Mali, Guinea, and Sudan from AU activities. However, the council was criticized for its handling of Chad, where it endorsed an 18-month military-drawn transitional plan following the death of President Idriss Déby in April, which contradicted AU norms.
• The AU faces significant financial challenges, with a 2022 budget of just over $650 million, of which international partners are expected to fund 66%. Fourteen countries, including Nigeria, Angola, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Senegal, received 'cautionary sanctions' for failing to pay at least 50% of their 2021 fees.
• The report identifies several 'conflict hotbeds' to monitor in 2022, including Libya, South Sudan, the Central African Republic, Northern Mozambique, Ethiopia, and the north-west and south-west regions of Cameroon.
• Violent extremism remains a pervasive threat in 2022, particularly in the Sahel, Lake Chad Basin, East Africa, the Horn, and Cabo Delgado. There are specific concerns regarding the spread of terrorism from the Sahel to West African coastal countries like Côte d’Ivoire, and possible collaboration between al-Shabaab and the Allied Democratic Forces.

APA

Louw-Vaudran, L., Diatta, M., Woldemichael, S., Handy, P.-S., & Atta-Asamoah, A. (2021). Peace & Security Council Report. Institute for Security Studies. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/PSC-Report-142-01.pdf

Chicago

Louw-Vaudran, Liesl, Mohamed Diatta, Shewit Woldemichael, Paul-Simon Handy, and Andrews Atta-Asamoah. Peace & Security Council Report. Institute for Security Studies, 2021. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/PSC-Report-142-01.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Louw-Vaudran |first1=Liesl |last2=Diatta |first2=Mohamed |last3=Woldemichael |first3=Shewit |last4=Handy |first4=Paul-Simon |last5=Atta-Asamoah |first5=Andrews |title=Peace & Security Council Report |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |date=December 2021 |url=https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/PSC-Report-142-01.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{louwvaudran2021peace, author = {Louw-Vaudran, Liesl and Diatta, Mohamed and Woldemichael, Shewit and Handy, Paul-Simon and Atta-Asamoah, Andrews}, title = {{Peace \& Security Council Report}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2021}, month = dec, url = {https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/PSC-Report-142-01.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }