The United Nations’ Special Representative to the African Union, Parfait Onanga‑Anyanga, warned that Africa’s conflicts cannot be solved by military means and called for a proactive, preventive approach to achieve peace and security on the continent. Speaking at a Security Council meeting, he explained that many African conflicts are deepened by weak state authority, violent extremism and the inequitable management of natural resources. He noted that the meeting addressed key challenges facing Africa and the cooperation between the UN and the African Union, a continental body of 55 member states.
Onanga‑Anyanga highlighted that several regions remain especially volatile, citing the Horn of Africa, Sudan, South Sudan and the Great Lakes area. These conflicts have generated massive displacement and multiple humanitarian emergencies, with the Democratic Republic of the Congo serving as a prominent example. He stressed that no military solution can address the root causes of conflict in the DRC or elsewhere in Africa and urged the Security Council to use its influence to promote peaceful settlements of outstanding issues. He also pointed to two critical conflict‑related concerns: climate change as a conflict multiplier and the particular challenges faced by women and girls in war‑torn regions.
The African Union’s Ambassador Mohamed Fathi Ahmed Edrees echoed these sentiments, noting that Africa is confronting an unprecedented wave of security threats that demand solutions for greater stability. He praised the progress made by the UN and the AU in supporting free, fair and credible elections across the continent, citing recent examples in Botswana, Ghana, Mauritius and Malawi. The partnership between the two organisations is deemed essential for tackling the complex, evolving threats to peace, security, development and human rights in Africa.
In December 2023, the UN Security Council adopted a resolution to deepen UN‑AU cooperation, focusing on responses to armed conflicts on the continent. Since then, progress has been made in operationalising the resolution, including the approval of joint planning modalities for AU‑led peace‑support operations and the development of gender‑responsive policies. These efforts aim to ensure that collaboration is grounded in both strategic vision and operational practicality.
As the situation in Africa continues to evolve, a proactive and preventive approach to peace and security remains crucial. The international community must continue to work together to address the region’s complex, interconnected threats and to pursue sustainable, long‑term solutions to its conflicts.
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