9244 ISS PSC Report 74_Eng.indd

This October 2015 report from the Institute for Security Studies examines the relationship between the African Union (AU) and the United Nations (UN), focusing on peacekeeping funding, counter-terrorism efforts, and specific crises in South Sudan, Mali, and Somalia. It also analyzes the risks associated with a series of upcoming elections across the African continent.

• Relations between the African Union (AU) and the United Nations (UN) have improved, particularly since the establishment of a UN office in Addis Ababa five years prior to the report. However, significant friction remains regarding the funding of peacekeeping operations, as the US Congress opposes direct UN funding to regional organizations to prevent them from acting independently of UN interests.
• The AU Peace and Security Council (PSC) has accepted recommendations from the Obasanjo report to establish an independent hybrid court to prosecute war crimes in South Sudan. The report detailed atrocities including sexual and gender-based violence and the conscription of children under 15, though it concluded the violence did not constitute genocide.
• African leaders have called for increased UN investment in counter-terrorism, highlighting the high human cost of fighting groups like Boko Haram and al-Shabaab. Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari specifically emphasized the ongoing priority of finding the Chibok girls missing since April 2013.
• In Mali, the June 2015 Algiers Agreement aimed to end the conflict, but the situation remains volatile. There is a clash of priorities between the Malian government, which focuses on political stability and separatist rebels, and the international community (led by France's Operation Barkhane), which prioritizes counter-terrorism.
• Northern Mali has become a significant route for drug smuggling from South America to Europe, involving cocaine and hashish. This narco-trafficking funds armed groups and involves some government and military officials, creating a cycle where criminals use political discourse to protect illegal profits.
• The African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) maintains a policy of not releasing specific casualty counts, which critics argue undermines the mission's credibility and erodes public trust. Estimates of total fatalities vary widely, from just over 1,000 to more than 4,000 deaths.
• Several African nations faced high-risk elections in late 2015. In Burkina Faso, a September 16 coup led to the suspension of the country by the PSC. In the Central African Republic, renewed violence in Bangui threatened to postpone elections planned for October 18.
• Guinea's October 11 presidential elections were marked by tensions over the neutrality of the electoral commission and the voters' roll, with risks of ethnic instrumentalization between the supporters of Alpha Condé and Cellou Dalein Diallo.
• Tanzania's October 25 election was characterized by internal divisions within the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) party, leading to a contest between John Magufuli and Edward Lowassa. While generally stable, concerns existed regarding radicalization in Zanzibar.
• China announced US$100 million in military assistance to the African Standby Force over five years, alongside a promise of 8,000 additional peacekeeping troops to the UN.

APA

Institute for Security Studies (n.d.). 9244 ISS PSC Report 74_Eng.indd. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/PSC_Report74_Eng.pdf

Chicago

Institute for Security Studies. 9244 ISS PSC Report 74_Eng.indd. n.d. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/PSC_Report74_Eng.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Institute for Security Studies |title=9244 ISS PSC Report 74_Eng.indd |url=https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/PSC_Report74_Eng.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{instituteforsecuritystudiesnd9244, author = {{Institute for Security Studies}}, title = {{9244 ISS PSC Report 74\_Eng.indd}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, url = {https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/PSC_Report74_Eng.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }