Peace & Security Council Report

The December 2016 Peace & Security Council Report by the Institute for Security Studies evaluates the African Union's (AU) role in managing continental crises. It finds that the Peace and Security Council (PSC) often relied on regional bodies rather than leading interventions. Key issues discussed include the impact of land privatisation and climate change in Kenya's Kajiado County, the contested nature of several 2016 national elections, and the AU's efforts to promote women's rights despite a perceived failure to challenge dictatorial regimes. The report also details the funding struggles of AMISOM in Somalia and the diplomatic complexities surrounding Morocco's request to rejoin the AU.

• In Kajiado County, Kenya, climate change acts as a 'threat multiplier' by compounding existing social and economic tensions caused by the privatisation and subdivision of community lands. This process has carved common resources into individual parcels, restricting the ability of pastoralists to move animals during droughts and leading to conflicts over scarce water and grass.
• The Peace and Security Council (PSC) had limited impact in 2016, frequently relying on regional economic communities and regional mechanisms to manage crises. Examples include the PSC's reliance on the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in Guinea-Bissau and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) in South Sudan.
• The AU's efforts to address the crisis in Burundi in 2016 were marked by a reversal of a December 2015 decision to send a 5,000-strong protection force. Subsequent attempts to deploy human rights observers and military experts were hindered by the Burundian government's demand to review reports before they were submitted to the AU Commission.
• Funding for the AU Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) was a significant challenge for the PSC in 2016, particularly following a decision by the European Union to reduce funding by 2020. The PSC called on the United Nations to fill this funding gap through assessed contributions.
• Morocco's September 2016 request to be re-admitted to the African Union is expected to revive divisions regarding Western Sahara. While the Sahrawi Democratic Arab Republic (RASD) is a founding member, only one-third of African states currently recognise it, and 28 states called for its suspension in Kigali.
• The AU's 2016 theme focused on human rights and women's rights, resulting in honorary prizes for Rwanda, Algeria, South Africa, and Tunisia. However, the report notes that the AU failed to speak up against human rights abuses by dictatorial regimes and that three member states (South Africa, Burundi, and The Gambia) led a charge to withdraw from the International Criminal Court (ICC).
• Elections across Africa in 2016 were frequently marred by the intimidation of opposition candidates, the removal of term limits, and the use of social media blackouts to restrict information. The report highlights that the PSC seemingly supported these restrictions by stressing the need to ensure social media was not used to 'undermine the credibility of election processes'.
• The AU is working toward the full operationalisation of the Peace Fund, with a proposed 0.2% levy on all imports into African countries agreed upon during the July 2016 summit in Kigali. The fund is intended to become operational in 2017.
• In South Sudan, sexual and gender-based violence has been used as a weapon of war. The UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) documented over 100 cases of sexual violence during renewed fighting in July 2016.

APA

Bedzigui, Y., Louw-Vaudran, L., Ani, N. C., & Rozen, J. (2016). Peace & Security Council Report. Institute for Security Studies. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/psc87v2.pdf

Chicago

Bedzigui, Yann, Liesl Louw-Vaudran, Ndubuisi Christian Ani, and Jonathan Rozen. Peace & Security Council Report. Institute for Security Studies, 2016. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/psc87v2.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Bedzigui |first1=Yann |last2=Louw-Vaudran |first2=Liesl |last3=Ani |first3=Ndubuisi Christian |last4=Rozen |first4=Jonathan |title=Peace & Security Council Report |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |date=December 2016 |url=https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/psc87v2.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{bedzigui2016peace, author = {Bedzigui, Yann and Louw-Vaudran, Liesl and Ani, Ndubuisi Christian and Rozen, Jonathan}, title = {{Peace \& Security Council Report}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2016}, month = dec, url = {https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/psc87v2.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }