Peace and Security Council Report 79

The Peace and Security Council (PSC) Report Issue 79 analyzes several African security crises, including institutional instability in Guinea-Bissau, the military approach to al-Shabaab in Somalia, contested elections in Chad and the Republic of Congo, and the AU's diplomatic efforts in Burundi. It also features an interview with Ambassador Frederic Ngoga Gateretse on early warning systems and structural conflict prevention.

• The institutional crisis in Guinea-Bissau, sparked by a dispute between President Jose Mário Vaz and Prime Minister Domingos Simões Pereira in mid-2015, threatens the country's stability. ECOWAS has been the primary actor in stabilization efforts, providing financial backing for the 2014 elections and deploying a 600-strong force for security sector reform. However, over 1 billion euros in pledged financial assistance from a March 2015 donors conference remains unavailable due to the ongoing crisis.
• The African Mission for Somalia (AMISOM) is shifting toward a more robust and mobile military response to counter al-Shabaab's increasing use of asymmetric attacks. A key goal of the Djibouti Declaration is to establish an effective AU command over national contingents, addressing a historical flaw where forces from Kenya and Ethiopia often reported to their own capitals rather than the AU force commander.
• The Republic of Congo and Chad are characterized as 'low intensity democracies' where democratic institutions are used to perpetuate undemocratic rule by aging presidents. In the Republic of Congo, President Denis Sassou Nguesso won the March 20, 2016, election with 60% of the vote, a result strongly rejected by the opposition. In Chad, President Idriss Déby faced civil unrest and brutal repression by security forces leading up to his April 10 election.
• The AU's approach to elections in Chad and the Republic of Congo is criticized as being crisis-oriented rather than proactive. The PSC lacks binding instruments to monitor the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance, and its response to the Congolese elections was limited to calling for restraint and the reopening of telecommunications after results were announced.
• The PSC's credibility in Burundi was challenged when a high-level delegation of heads of state replaced a planned PSC field mission in February 2016. While the Burundian government agreed to increase the number of human rights observers and military experts to 100 each, it continues to reject an inclusive dialogue without preconditions, specifically excluding the opposition coalition CNARED.
• The AU's Continental Early Warning System (CEWS) is fully operational, but challenges remain in linking early warning to early response. Key threats to stability for 2016 include disputed elections, the risk of relapse in post-conflict situations, terrorism from groups affiliated with al-Qaeda and the Islamic State, and 'hybrid threats' such as cyber security and bioterrorism.
• Climate change is identified as a real security risk in Africa, with El Niño causing severe humanitarian crises in Eastern and Southern Africa. Environmental degradation, water scarcity, and population displacement are viewed as potential triggers for violent conflict and unrest.

APA

Institute for Security Studies (n.d.). Peace and Security Council Report 79. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/PSC79.pdf

Chicago

Institute for Security Studies. Peace and Security Council Report 79. n.d. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/PSC79.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Institute for Security Studies |title=Peace and Security Council Report 79 |url=https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/PSC79.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{instituteforsecuritystudiesndpeace, author = {{Institute for Security Studies}}, title = {{Peace and Security Council Report 79}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, url = {https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/PSC79.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }