Peace and Security Council Report No 160

The August 2023 issue of the Peace and Security Council Report by the Institute for Security Studies examines the African Union's (AU) struggle to prevent unconstitutional changes of government (UCGs), the need to reform the African Peace and Security Architecture (APSA), the recruitment of child soldiers by ISWAP in the Lake Chad Basin, and the outcomes of the 2023 Russia-Africa Summit.

• The African Union (AU) and ECOWAS failed to proactively prevent the July 2023 coup in Niger despite early warning signs and the AU's mandate for conflict prevention. The report argues that the AU should have used its 'non-indifference' provisions to broker peace between President Mohammed Bazoum and General Abdourahamane Tchiani, rather than deferring to the president's claims that he was in control.
• The African Peace and Security Architecture (APSA) is facing a crisis characterized by inconsistent use of mechanisms, a preference for military over governance solutions, and a reactive rather than preventive approach. Specific failures include the dismantling of the Continental Early Warning System and the lack of administrative support for AU special envoys.
• The Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) is aggressively recruiting child soldiers in the Lake Chad Basin, potentially employing at least 3,000 boys. Recruitment often involves abducting children from Cameroon, Chad, Niger, and Nigeria, sometimes under the guise of enrollment in the Islamic Tsangaya education system, followed by a radicalization programme called 'tadrib'.
• The 2023 Russia-Africa Summit in St Petersburg saw a significant drop in attendance by African heads of state, falling from 43 in 2019 to 17 in 2023. While Russia offered 25,000 to 50,000 tons of cost-free grain to six countries (Burkina Faso, Zimbabwe, Mali, Somalia, Central African Republic, and Eritrea), the report notes this is small compared to the 32.9 million tons shipped under the Black Sea Grain Initiative.
• The Lomé Declaration against coups d'état is considered obsolete because current unconstitutional changes of government are driven more by internal failures—such as the inability of civilian authorities to provide basic services and security—than by the external mercenary and foreign power sponsorship the Declaration was designed to address.

APA

Institute for Security Studies (n.d.). Peace and Security Council Report No 160. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/PSC-Report-160.pdf

Chicago

Institute for Security Studies. Peace and Security Council Report No 160. n.d. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/PSC-Report-160.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Institute for Security Studies |title=Peace and Security Council Report No 160 |url=https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/PSC-Report-160.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{instituteforsecuritystudiesndpeace, author = {{Institute for Security Studies}}, title = {{Peace and Security Council Report No 160}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, url = {https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/PSC-Report-160.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }