The African Union (AU) marked the 20th anniversary of its Peace and Security Council (AU-PSC) on Saturday with a high-level colloquium, reiterating its commitment to achieving a conflict-free Africa. AU Commission Chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat addressed the gathering, highlighting the AU-PSC's significant contributions to peace, security, and stability across the continent. He emphasised the council's role in establishing "fundamental principles for continental peace and security," including the promotion of African solutions to African problems, the rejection of violent conflict resolution, and a commitment to the independence and sovereignty of African states. Since its establishment in 2004, the AU-PSC has actively addressed peace and security challenges throughout Africa. It has deployed peace support operations, high representatives, and peace envoys, and has facilitated mediation and political dialogue to de-escalate crises. Additionally, it has fostered cooperation with the United Nations Security Council, further solidifying its role as a key instrument for peace and security in Africa. Despite these achievements, Chairperson Faki stressed the urgent need for concerted efforts to "silence the guns" in Africa. He called for a zero-tolerance approach to unconstitutional changes of government and emphasised the importance of strengthening continental cooperation against external interference. "The guiding principle of this honourable organ was to ensure value-based management of peace and security issues in Africa by Africans themselves," Faki said. "The background to this was, and remains, the protection of member states against external interference, whether rival or ally." Faki expressed concern over the proliferation of unconstitutional changes of government and the lack of inter-African solidarity, highlighting the need for collective action to address these challenges. The high-level colloquium provided a platform for the AU-PSC to assess its progress and challenges over the past two decades in fulfilling its mandate to promote peace, security, and stability in Africa.
