In the first six months of 2016 the Peace and Security Council (PSC) had a lot on its plate. A brief overview of the crises and PSC decisions in this period reveals the complexity of the council’s work.
While there is increasing pressure on the PSC to prevent political violence from breaking out in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), election-related violence in the Republic of Congo and Chad has not been addressed. Burundi, Somalia, Guinea-Bissau and the fight against the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) remain the areas in which the PSC is most actively engaged.
Waiting for an inclusive dialogue in Burundi
The PSC has held at least eight meetings on Burundi since June 2015. Apart from its engagement in Somalia, the situation in Burundi has been the one that has taken up most of the PSC’s time.
At a summit-level meeting on 29 January 2016 heads of state of the PSC reversed the decision taken by representatives in December 2015 regarding the deployment of a military force to halt the deterioration of the situation in Burundi. Instead, the PSC sent a high-level delegation of heads of state led by South African President Jacob Zuma. The delegation asked for the resumption of the inter-Burundian dialogue without any preconditions and the doubling of military experts and human rights observers from 100 to 200 personnel. In May 32 human rights observers and 15 military experts were already deployed. The PSC also endorsed the appointment of former Tanzanian president Benjamin Mpaka as a facilitator to support Yoweri Museveni, the East African Community’s designated mediator.
Meanwhile, the government is still opposed to the inclusion of opposition groups that have not renounced violence, such as the Conseil National pour le respect de l'Accord d'Arusha pour la Paix et la Réconciliation au Burundi et de l'Etat de droit (CNARED). The first round of the inclusive dialogue was held in Arusha in June with some elements of CNARED, but not as an organisation. At a press briefing on the margins of the 10th Joint Consultative Meeting of the PSC and the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) in New York in May, Botswana’s representative to the African Union (AU) and chair of the PSC for May said the body considered the dialogue ‘inclusive’ despite the absence of some actors. On the ground, the context remains volatile with many assassinations of military personnel and grenade attacks against the civilian population. At its 595th meeting, the PSC took note of the report of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR) on its fact-finding mission that was completed in late 2015. According to the statement, the PSC remains concerned about the violence in Burundi and again asks for the full deployment of human rights observers, military experts and police officers.
The PSC also conducted a field mission to Burundi in June.
DRC: a facilitator appointed
Elections are due in the DRC in November 2016. Incumbent President Joseph Kabila is barred by the constitution from running for a third term. The opposition accuses the government of intentionally trying to delay the election in order for Kabila to extend his stay in power. A ruling by the Constitutional Court in May stated that Kabila could stay in power until his successor was inaugurated.
Meanwhile, Moïse Katumbi, a presumptive presidential candidate, has been pursued by the courts. In June 2016 he was charged for selling a building he did not own and convicted to three years in prison in abstentia. The AUC chairperson appointed former Organization of African Unity (OAU) secretary general Edem Kodjo at the request of the Congolese government to help it to organise a national dialogue with the opposition. However, opposition parties deplored the facilitator’s lack of impartiality and denounced the national dialogue as an illegal way to prolong Kabila’s stay in power.
On 6 June, the AU, along with the European Union (EU), UN and the International Organization of Francophonie (OIF), ‘underline[d] once again the crucial importance of holding a successful political dialogue with all Congolese stakeholders leading to a consensus that would allow for free, fair, transparent and credible elections to take place in accordance with the framework of the Congolese Constitution’.
Guinea-Bissau: tensions around presidential powers
The political context in Guinea-Bissau remains volatile due to tensions in the ruling African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde (PAICG) between the president and certain factions regarding the extent of presidential powers. The PSC held a session on Guinea-Bissau on 9 March. The council stressed the importance of respecting the constitution, and marked its readiness to support if necessary a revision of the constitution in order to clarify the provisions that are the source of divergent interpretations.
On 21 March the council conducted a field mission and held consultations with relevant stakeholders. It appealed to the president of Guinea-Bissau to promote compliance with the constitution. It also supported the decision by the Economic Community of West African States to extent the mandate of its mission on the ground by 12 months.
On 31 March the PSC requested the appointment of a high-level team to facilitate dialogue between the political stakeholders, and to promote an inclusive agreement of ‘Government Stability and Peaceful Coexistence’. It also asked that a technical mission be dispatched to assess how the AU can further assist in the constitutional review process. It stressed the need to assess post-conflict, reconstruction and development activities in order to resolve obstacles to a sustainable stability.
The PSC again met on 9 June and expressed its concern at the deterioration of the political climate in Guinea-Bissau.
Libya: supporting the path to reconciliation while fighting ISIL
Both pro-Government of National Agreement (GNA) and anti-GNA forces are currently fighting the so-called Islamic State (ISIL) in its stronghold of Sirte. In January the AU appointed former Tanzanian president Jakaya Kikwete as a special envoy for Libya. On 9 June the PSC again was briefed on the situation in the country. The council supported the initiative of the AU Commission to convene a meeting of representatives of all relevant stakeholders to address the issue of national reconciliation. The PSC reiterated its opposition to any external military intervention, which would make it harder to achieve a peaceful political agreement.
Regional coalition against the LRA: after Uganda
The PSC held its 601st meeting on 30 May on the implementation of the Regional Cooperation Initiative for the Elimination of the LRA (RCI-LRA) in the context of the withdrawal of the Ugandan contingent. The PSC extended the mandate of the initiative for 12 months, until 22 May 2017. Moreover, it requested a meeting at the highest level of RCI-LRA member states on the margin of the next AU summit in Kigali to review various issues related to the initiative, including the concept of operations and its reconfiguration into a multidimensional mission. It also welcomed a proposal by Sudan to join the regional task force.
Somalia: looking for sustainable funding and effective command and control
The funding of the African Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) has been the major issue on the agenda of the council. In its decision on 29 February it recalled the need to improve command and control in line with the Djibouti Declaration by Troop- and Police-Contributing Countries at the level of Heads of State and Government. At its 586th meeting the PSC underscored the need for the federal government of Somalia to ensure that citizens enjoy peace dividends in areas liberated from al-Shabaab, including through the provision of basic public services. At its meeting on 28 April the council extended the mandate of AMISOM for 12 months. It called for a review of the concept of operations to better align it with the security environment and the necessity of renewed offensive operations against al-Shabaab in Somalia.
Tensions remain in South Sudan
Following the 17 August 2015 peace agreement in South Sudan, the transitional government of national unity was formed in April this year. The AU welcomed this important step in ensuring peace after several years of destructive civil war. The PSC discussed the situation several times and was briefed by Botswana’s former president Festus Mogae, chairperson of the Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission for South Sudan, on 30 June.
Tensions remain, however, and serious clashes were reported at the end of June in the north-west of the country.
Sudan: a contested roadmap for peace
On 27 April the PSC welcomed the signing of the roadmap agreement for peace by the government of Sudan. This document calls for the end of hostilities in Darfur, South Kordofan and Blue Nile. However, opposition groups rejected the roadmap agreement, asking for the inclusion of confidence-building measures.
The PSC encouraged the joint working group composed of the UN, the AU and the government of Sudan to elaborate an exit strategy for the UN–AU Mission in Darfur (UNAMID). The council expressed its concern about the prevailing humanitarian situation in Darfur, with continuing restrictions and denials of access and clearances being imposed on UNAMID and humanitarian actors.
Africa divided over Western Sahara
On 6 April the PSC condemned Morocco’s decision to expel 84 personnel from the UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO). The council also reiterated its commitment to work towards the resolution of the conflict in Western Sahara. It requested consultations between former Mozambican president Joaquim Chissano, the AU Special Envoy for Western Sahara, and the UN Secretariat on the new developments in this longstanding dispute. Moreover, the PSC reminded the African members of the UNSC (A3) to promote AU positions – notably on Western Sahara – in this forum. This was the object of a decision adopted by the PSC on 28 April.
Terrorism discussed by heads of state
The terror threat posed by Boko Haram in Nigeria and the Lake Chad Basin was not on the agenda of the PSC in 2016, but was treated under the thematic issue of terrorism. So were the ongoing violence in Mali and the terror attacks in Burkina Faso and Côte d’Ivoire.
The main theme of the PSC summit at the level of heads of state on 29 January was, in fact, African efforts against terrorism. The council stressed the need for increased mobilisation. Among other measures, it urged member states to sign and ratify the OAU Convention on the Prevention and Combating of Terrorism and its 2004 Supplementary Protocol. The PSC called upon the commission to develop and integrate counter-terrorism in pre-deployment training for peace support operations and in regional exercises.
On 19 April the PSC also held an open session on the role of de-radicalisation policies in the fight against terrorism. Participants urged the establishment of a comprehensive continental counter-radicalisation and counter-terrorism strategy.
On 26 April the African Centre for the Study and Research on Terrorism (ACSRT) and the Committee of Intelligence and Security Services of Africa (CISSA) briefed the council on efforts to counter terrorism and violent extremism. The council asked CISSA to provide a detailed report on the nature and sources of weapons used by terrorists in Africa, to be presented to the PSC in July.
Little news, however, has filtered through on the readiness of the Lake Chad Basin joint task force against Boko Haram – an AU initiative following a decision in January 2015.
Forgotten crisis in Mozambique
A quarter of a century after the end of the civil war in Mozambique, the conflict between the ruling Frelimo (Frente de Libertação de Moçambique) and the opposition Renamo (Resistência Nacional Moçambicana) has grown in intensity since the beginning of the year. The source of this rift is the attempt by Renamo’s leader Afonso Dhlakama to seize power in regions that he claims were won by Renamo in the last elections in 2014.
Since mid-2015 clashes between the country’s security forces and Renamo have caused the displacement of 12 000 people to neighbouring Malawi. After many attempts the warring parties accepted the mediation by Malawi’s president on 17 June. The conflict has not been addressed by the PSC.