Peace & Security Council Report

The African Union (AU) and Africa CDC reacted quickly to COVID-19, coordinating health responses and establishing an anti-COVID-19 fund. However, the pandemic has exacerbated security threats in West and Central Africa, where fighting against terrorism and internal conflicts continues despite global ceasefire calls. In the Horn of Africa, the virus has disrupted peace processes and created new instabilities, including the politicisation of response measures and the release of thousands of inmates. The report also highlights the extreme vulnerability of Africa's 25.2 million refugees and internally displaced persons, warning that border closures may increase irregular migration and transmission risks.

• The African Union (AU) and the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) demonstrated rapid coordination at the start of the pandemic, with the Africa CDC convening health ministers on February 22, 2020. The AU established an anti-COVID-19 fund that received over $20 million, including $12.5 million in seed funding from bureau member states and $4.5 million pledged to the Africa CDC.
• COVID-19 has compounded security crises in West and Central Africa, where military operations against terrorism have continued despite UN ceasefire calls. For example, on March 23, 2020, Boko Haram killed approximately 92 Chadian soldiers, prompting Chad to launch 'operation colère de Boma' to annihilate the group with permission to operate in Niger and Nigeria.
• In the Horn of Africa, the pandemic has disrupted critical peace processes and diplomatic negotiations. In Sudan, negotiations to end conflicts in Darfur, South Kordofan, and Blue Nile were postponed from April to May, leading the Sudan Liberation Movement led by Minni Minnawi (SLM/MM) to suspend its involvement. Additionally, negotiations between Ethiopia, Sudan, and Egypt regarding the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) were halted.
• The pandemic has introduced new security risks in the Horn of Africa, including the use of excessive force by security forces enforcing lockdowns and the potential for increased crime following the mass release of inmates to reduce prison overcrowding. Ethiopia released over 4,000 inmates, Kenya nearly 5,000, and Uganda more than 2,000.
• Africa's 25.2 million refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs) are highly vulnerable to the virus due to overcrowded conditions and poor sanitation in camps. The report identifies four of the world's six largest refugee camps as being in Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, and Ethiopia, noting that social distancing is extremely difficult in these settings.
• Strict migration measures and border closures may inadvertently increase the spread of COVID-19 by driving migrants toward irregular travel methods that bypass health screenings. This risk is illustrated by the return of approximately 200,000 Afghans from Iran, where more than half of Afghanistan's confirmed cases were returnees.
• The economic impact of the pandemic is expected to be severe due to Africa's reliance on the informal sector for 60% of employment and its annual import of $50 billion worth of food. AUDA-Nepad has advocated for debt relief from the G20, IMF, and World Bank to create the 'fiscal space' necessary to provide health services and compensate for job losses.

APA

Diatta, M., Louw-Vaudran, L., Attah-Asamoah, A., Woldemichael, S., & Mbiyozo, A.-N. (2020). Peace & Security Council Report. Institute for Security Studies. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/pscreport-123.pdf

Chicago

Diatta, Mohamed, Liesl Louw-Vaudran, Andrews Attah-Asamoah, Shewit Woldemichael, and Aimée-Noël Mbiyozo. Peace & Security Council Report. Institute for Security Studies, 2020. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/pscreport-123.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Diatta |first1=Mohamed |last2=Louw-Vaudran |first2=Liesl |last3=Attah-Asamoah |first3=Andrews |last4=Woldemichael |first4=Shewit |last5=Mbiyozo |first5=Aimée-Noël |title=Peace & Security Council Report |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |date=April 2020 |url=https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/pscreport-123.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{diatta2020peace, author = {Diatta, Mohamed and Louw-Vaudran, Liesl and Attah-Asamoah, Andrews and Woldemichael, Shewit and Mbiyozo, Aimée-Noël}, title = {{Peace \& Security Council Report}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2020}, month = apr, url = {https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/pscreport-123.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }