The United Nations’ Special Representative to the African Union, Parfait Onanga-Anyanga, has emphasized that conflicts in Africa cannot be resolved through military means, stressing the need for a proactive and preventative approach to achieve peace and security on the continent. Speaking at a Security Council meeting, Onanga-Anyanga highlighted the complexities of conflicts in Africa, which are often exacerbated by weak state authority, violent extremism, and the inequitable management of natural resources.
The meeting focused on key issues faced by Africa and cooperation between the UN and the African Union, a continental organization comprising 55 member states. Onanga-Anyanga warned that concerns remain in some parts of the continent about the number and complexity of conflicts, citing the Horn of Africa, Sudan, South Sudan, and the Great Lakes region as areas of particular concern. These conflicts have caused widespread displacement and multiple humanitarian emergencies, with the Democratic Republic of the Congo being a notable example.
Onanga-Anyanga emphasized that no military solution can resolve the underlying causes of conflict in the DRC or elsewhere in Africa, calling on the Security Council to leverage its influence towards a peaceful settlement of outstanding issues. He also highlighted two critical conflict-related issues: climate change as a conflict multiplier and the challenges faced by women and girls in battle-scarred regions.
The African Union’s Ambassador Mohamed Fathi Ahmed Edrees echoed Onanga-Anyanga’s sentiments, stating that Africa is facing an unprecedented wave of threats to its security and that solutions are needed to achieve greater stability. The UN and the AU have made significant progress in supporting free, fair, and credible elections across the continent, with recent examples in Botswana, Ghana, Mauritius, and Malawi.
The partnership between the UN and the AU is considered essential to addressing the complex and evolving threats to peace, security, development, and human rights in Africa. In December 2023, the UN Security Council adopted a resolution to enhance cooperation between the UN and AU, with a focus on responding to armed conflicts on the African continent. Progress has been made in operationalizing the resolution, including the approval of joint planning modalities for AU-led peace support operations and the development of gender-responsive policies.
The ongoing efforts to enhance cooperation between the UN and AU aim to ensure that collaboration is grounded in both strategic vision and operational practicality. As the situation in Africa continues to evolve, the importance of a proactive and preventative approach to achieving peace and security on the continent cannot be overstated. The international community must continue to work together to address the complex and interconnected threats facing Africa, with a focus on finding sustainable and long-term solutions to the region’s conflicts.