The United Nations and the African Union (AU) are intensifying efforts to establish a unified operational framework aimed at resolving expanding security crises across the African continent.
Speaking before the UN Security Council in New York on Tuesday, Parfait Onanga-Anyanga, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General to the AU, and Bankole Adeoye, AU Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security, emphasized that joint peace initiatives must prioritize rapid execution, conflict prevention, and tangible security improvements for vulnerable civilian populations.
A central focus of the partnership remains Somalia, where the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM) maintains security responsibilities alongside logistical, medical, and operational backing from the United Nations Support Office in Somalia (UNSOS). Both organizations are coordinating a gradual, phased transition to transfer full defense authority to Somali state forces before UN support mandates expire after 2026. To strengthen continent-wide crisis response, the UN and AU are also working to operationalize Security Council Resolution 2719, which establishes a formal framework for UN-assessed contributions to fund AU-led peace operations, supported by upcoming joint simulation exercises designed to align command structures and clarify organizational responsibilities.
Beyond Somalia, diplomatic and security alignment is being actively expanded to address ongoing conflicts in Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and the Horn of Africa, alongside preventive diplomacy initiatives in South Sudan. In the eastern DRC, regional mediation efforts by international partners remain integrated with ceasefire monitoring supported by MONUSCO. Both organizations reaffirmed their commitment to implementing Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security ahead of the 11th Joint Informal Seminar and the 20th Annual Joint Consultative Meeting scheduled for October 22–23 in New York.
TE/Sf/lb/abj/APA