PEACE AND SECURITY COUNCIL REPORT

The report outlines the priorities for the June 2015 AU summit, noting that the official theme of women's empowerment is likely to be overshadowed by urgent crises. Key concerns include the high death toll of African migrants crossing the Mediterranean from Libya, xenophobic violence in South Africa, and the instability in Burundi caused by President Pierre Nkurunziza's third-term bid. It also examines the AU's role in mediating conflicts in South Sudan and Libya, the challenges of establishing an African Standby Force, and the broader struggle for continental economic and political integration.

• The 25th AU Assembly in Johannesburg is expected to prioritize urgent security issues over its official theme of the 'Year of Women’s Empowerment and Development towards Africa’s Agenda 2063', specifically focusing on xenophobia in South Africa, migration, and terrorism in the Sahel, the Horn of Africa, and Nigeria.
• African migration to Europe via the Mediterranean has seen a dramatic increase in fatalities, with nearly 2,000 deaths since the start of 2015, including close to 1,400 deaths in April 2015 alone.
• Political instability in Burundi is driven by President Pierre Nkurunziza's bid for a third term, which contradicts the Arusha peace agreement and the general interpretation of the constitution. Despite proactive diplomacy and visits from AU officials, violent protests and a failed coup attempt on 14 May have occurred.
• The AU faces a systemic challenge with incumbents attempting to extend presidential term limits in several countries, including the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Republic of Congo, and Rwanda. Efforts to create a binding statutory agreement to limit terms to two mandates are hindered by the AU's consensus-based decision-making and opposition from leaders in The Gambia and Togo.
• The AU is coordinating with the International Contact Group on Libya to address the country's chaotic state, characterized by two competing governments and numerous armed militias.
• Continental economic integration remains slow due to national political indifference, though the AU is pursuing the 'open skies' initiative to deregulate air services and regional economic communities like the East African Community are moving toward free trade zones.
• The AU is working toward the operationalization of the African Standby Force (ASF), with the Amani II field exercise in South Africa serving as a critical step toward making the force operative.

APA

Louw-Vaudran, L., & Lulie, H. (2015). PEACE AND SECURITY COUNCIL REPORT. Institute for Security Studies. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/PSCNo70.pdf

Chicago

Louw-Vaudran, Liesl, and Hallelujah Lulie. PEACE AND SECURITY COUNCIL REPORT. Institute for Security Studies, 2015. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/PSCNo70.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Louw-Vaudran |first1=Liesl |last2=Lulie |first2=Hallelujah |title=PEACE AND SECURITY COUNCIL REPORT |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |date=June 2015 |url=https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/PSCNo70.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{louwvaudran2015peace, author = {Louw-Vaudran, Liesl and Lulie, Hallelujah}, title = {{PEACE AND SECURITY COUNCIL REPORT}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2015}, month = jun, url = {https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/PSCNo70.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }