AU allocates $7m to peace efforts in the Sudans, DRC, Sahel
Friday September 20 2024
An African Union session at its headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Photo | AFP
Peace efforts in Africa received a boost this week, with $7 million worth of support that the African Union has allocated to regions that are most impacted by conflict and instability.
A statement from the continental body said that the funds will be disbursed towards several critical initiatives in Sudan and South Sudan, including backing the transition process in Juba and supporting Khartoum’s peace process through political dialogue, cessation of hostilities, and potential AU-led monitoring, verification, and compliance missions.
The AU also said part of the funds will support the Southern Africa Development Community mission in DR Congo, reinforcing stabilisation efforts in the Lake Chad Basin, to bring calm to these conflict hotspots where violence continues to undermine stability and disrupt livelihoods.
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In addition, the funds will also support ongoing stabilisation efforts in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger in the Sahel region, as well as assist Libya’s national reconciliation, dialogue, and stabilisation initiatives and Mozambique’s efforts to pacify Cabo Delgado.
The Sudan war broke out in April 2023, displacing over 10 million people, two million of whom have crossed into neighbouring countries as refugees, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (Ocha).
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The conflict in South Sudan – currently managed through a delicate peace process since 2020 – started in December 2013, also affecting more than 10 million people, and sparking one of the region’s biggest refugee crises, with more than 2.2 million South Sudanese fleeing their country, Ocha records show.
Persistent conflicts in Congo, Mozambique and the Sahel have also produced millions of refugees and internally displaced persons for which the AU acted in response, and its action is a significant step towards fostering peace and stability, its statement said.
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The funds, drawn from the African Union Peace Fund, represent 70 percent of the approved Peace Fund Crisis Reserve Facility ceiling for 2024.
“This second disbursement marks a significant milestone for the AU Peace Fund in strengthening the African Union’s capacity to address peace and security challenges,” said Dagmawit Moges, director of the AU Peace Fund Secretariat.
Ambassador Bankole Adeoye, AU Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security, said the funds were provided after a request and reflecting the AU Peace and Security Council’s priorities.
In 2023, the Peace Fund disbursed $6.5 million through the crisis reserve facility to support similar efforts.
As a key operational financing mechanism supporting the African Union's mandate to achieve peace and security across the continent, the Fund plays a vital role in enabling timely and effective interventions that create peaceful, stable, and prosperous communities in Africa.
The Fund’s impact is expected to grow as the AU intensifies efforts to mobilise resources and build strategic partnerships with key stakeholders.