04/05/2026
The Republic of South Africa just concluded its first month as a member of the African Union Peace and Security Council (AUPSC) under the Chairship of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia.
During this month South Africa participated in all the sessions of the Council, namely:
07 April 2026: Flag Ceremony
08 April 2026: Open session on Hate Crimes and fighting Genocide Ideology in Africa
09 April 2026: Informal Consultation on the Impact of the Middle East Crisis on the Peace and Security Situation of Africa as well as the Consideration of the situation in Central African Republic (CAR).
16 April 2026: PSC Ministerial Session on Artificial Intelligence: Governance, Peace and Security in Africa
18 April 2026: PSC Visit to the Ethiopian AI Institute and Science and technology Museum
20 April 2026: Briefing by the A3 on its activities
23-25 April 2026: PSC field Mission to the Republic of South Sudan
27 April 2026: Open Session on Peace Support Operations in Africa
28 April 2026: Consideration of the Report on Joint African Union – Federal Government of Somalia – United Nations Progress Against Benchmarks and AUSSOM Mission Configuration Plan as well as an Update on the situation in Mali.
29-30 April 2026: 5th Annual Joint Retreat between PSC-APRM
These are some of the key highlights for the month of April 2026:
- South Africa called for the universal adherence to the Genocide Convention and urgent action towards the atrocities, including genocidal acts and the worst humanitarian crisis on the Continent in Sudan.
- South Africa encouraged sustained dialogue in CAR and called for broader peacebuilding and reconstruction efforts to prevent the country from relapsing into conflict.
- On AI, SA called for AI governance that is anchored within African norms and institutions aligning with frameworks of the African Union, particularly Agenda 2063 and the African Peace and Security Architecture, in order to assert African agency in shaping global AI governance, including through the protection of data sovereignty and the development of common continental positions that reduce fragmentation.
- South Africa lauded the growth of the A3 and encouraged extensive collaboration to strengthen the A3. Furthermore, the country highlighted that peacekeeping operations should be accompanied by political engagements in the prevention, mediation and resolution of conflicts in the pursuit of sustainable solutions.
- In South Sudan, SA reaffirmed that the Revitalized Agreement for Resolution of Conflict in South Sudan (R-ARCSS) remains the paramount instrument for the resolution of the conflict in South Sudan.
South Africa will continue to engage in the discussions of the AUPSC in May 2026.
Pics: AU PAPS