Peace & Security Council Report

The report examines the African Union's (AU) efforts to create a coherent foreign policy framework to navigate a fragmented international order, while highlighting the need for deeper economic integration similar to the EU. It details the evolving threat of Boko Haram and ISWAP in the Lake Chad Basin and the emerging extremist hub in the Borgu-Kainji axis. Additionally, it argues for a youth-focused approach to combat transnational organized crime, citing the rise of cybercrime and drug trafficking in West Africa. Finally, it outlines Burundi's priorities as AU chair, emphasizing water security, youth empowerment, and the urgent need for internal financial autonomy to ensure political sovereignty.

• The African Union is working toward a foreign policy framework to address a "fragmented international order" and improve collective bargaining, though it lacks the supranational authority and deep economic integration that support the European Union's external coordination.
• In the Lake Chad Basin, Boko Haram factions have adapted by using fragmented commandos and rear bases in forests and islands. By 2025, ISWAP demonstrated a qualitative leap in capability through the use of drones for combat and intelligence and improved improvised explosive devices (IEDs).
• The Borgu-Kainji axis, spanning parts of Nigeria, Benin, and Niger, is emerging as a convergence zone for extremist groups. Jihadist-group violence in this region rose by 86% from 2024 to 2025, with the death toll increasing by 262%.
• Transnational organized crime (TOC) in Africa is increasingly driven by youth due to socioeconomic failures. This includes the rise of 'kush' drug abuse in Sierra Leone and Liberia, and 'hustling kingdoms'—informal cybercrime academies—in Nigeria and Ghana.
• Nigerian confraternities have evolved into global criminal networks involved in cyberfraud and money-laundering; for example, a 2017 Canadian investigation dismantled a network estimated at US$5 billion linked to these groups.
• The African Union faces a critical lack of financial autonomy, with some programs remaining overwhelmingly funded by external partners up to 90%, which limits the organization's strategic autonomy and political sovereignty.

APA

Simakoloyi, Z., Ani, N. C., Adebayo, T. H., Hoinathy, R., Soumahoro, M., & Nyamitwe, W. (2026). Peace & Security Council Report. Institute for Security Studies. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/pages/1782295088731-psc-report-185-2.pdf

Chicago

Simakoloyi, Zenge, Ndubuisi Christian Ani, Taiwo Hassan Adebayo, Remadji Hoinathy, Moussa Soumahoro, and Willy Nyamitwe. Peace & Security Council Report. Institute for Security Studies, 2026. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/pages/1782295088731-psc-report-185-2.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Simakoloyi |first1=Zenge |last2=Ani |first2=Ndubuisi Christian |last3=Adebayo |first3=Taiwo Hassan |last4=Hoinathy |first4=Remadji |last5=Soumahoro |first5=Moussa |last6=Nyamitwe |first6=Willy |title=Peace & Security Council Report |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |date=May 2026 |url=https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/pages/1782295088731-psc-report-185-2.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{simakoloyi2026peace, author = {Simakoloyi, Zenge and Ani, Ndubuisi Christian and Adebayo, Taiwo Hassan and Hoinathy, Remadji and Soumahoro, Moussa and Nyamitwe, Willy}, title = {{Peace \& Security Council Report}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2026}, month = may, url = {https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/pages/1782295088731-psc-report-185-2.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }