Africa-Press – Tanzania. TANZANIA: TANZANIA has accepted the mantle of leadership as chair of the African Union (AU) Peace and Security Council (PSC) for the month of May, and President Samia Suluhu Hassan is set to give a keynote address on the 20th anniversary of the AU PSC.
The grand event commemorating the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the AU PSC is scheduled to be held on May 25, 2024. On that day, the PSC will unveil the e-Anniversary Logo.
Tanzania’s Ambassador to Ethiopia and the Permanent Representative to the AU, Mr Innocent Shiyo, unveiled to the ‘Daily News’ on Sunday that the briefing on the e-Anniversary Logo will be done by the PSC at the Troika Level (Tanzania, Gambia, and Uganda).
Tanzania chaired the 10th Anniversary of the PSC on May 25, 2014 (437th PSC meeting) at the Ambassadorial level. The celebration at the Heads of State and Government level was held on June 25, 2014 (444th PSC Meeting) and was chaired by Yoweri Museveni, President of Uganda.
It is fascinating to note that once again Uganda will chair the month of June 2024 after Tanzania. The main event will be the Anniversary Colloquium with the Grand Theme ’20 Years of the AU PSC as a Standing Decision-Making Organ: The Next 2 Decades of the Peace & Security We Want in Africa.’ Ambassador Shiyo noted that this year the AU-PSC will be commemorating its 20th anniversary and to mark the occasion, a series of events to assess the evolution of the Council and its mandate have been organised.
In the proposed celebrations shared by Ambassador Shiyo, the AU articulates: “Given the main event, it is proposed that the Anniversary Colloquium be held at a High Level in Tanzania.
As such, to elevate the occasion, it is proposed that Tanzania, as the Chair for the month of May 2024, be Chaired by H.E. President Samia Hassan Suluhu and consider inviting some Heads of State and Government of the PSC Members in Tanzania, possibly the troika (The Gambia, Tanzania, and Uganda), with the participation of all 15 PSC Members at the ambassadorial level.” Ugandan President, Mr Yoweri Museveni, and Adama Barrow, the President of The Republic of Gambia, will speak on the theme: ‘20 Years of the AU Peace and Security Council as a Standing DecisionMaking Organ’: The Next 2 Decades of the Peace & Security We Want in Africa in their capacity as the incoming Chair and Outgoing Chair respectively.
Each month, the PSC will hold dedicated sessions on various themes, considering the continent’s myriad threats to peace, security, and stability.
The AUC shared with all member states the activities for the commemoration of the PSC 20th anniversary.” Ambassador Shiyo said that the Council will also receive statements from Mr Moussa Faki Mahamat, the Chairperson of the AU Commission, and Mr António Guterres, United Nations Secretary-General, or his representative.
At the end of the programme, the Council will adopt the Solemn Declaration on 20 years of the AU PSC as a Standing Decision-Making Organ: The Next 2 Decades of the Peace & Security We Want in Africa.
It will be recalled that during the celebration of the 10th anniversary, the PSC adopted a declaration which, among others, emphasised the need for enhanced cooperation with other stakeholders in conflict prevention, management, and resolution and called for greater coordination and consultation between the Council and regional economic communities and mechanisms (RECs/RMs) on their interventions in conflict and crisis situations in Africa.
PSC became operational in early 2004, following the adoption of the Protocol relating to the Establishment of the Peace and Security Council of the AU in July 2002, in Durban, South Africa, and entered into force in December 2003.
The Council started its activities on March 16, 2004, and held its official launch on May 25, 2004, which is also African Union Day.
The PSC replaced the Organisation of African Unity’s (OAU) Central Organ for Conflict Prevention and Management and was designed to be a more robust and proactive mechanism for addressing the continent’s peace and security challenges. The PSC’s establishment marked a significant step in Africa’s efforts to enhance its capacity for conflict prevention, management and resolution.
The PSC has 15 members with equal voting powers. All members are elected by the AU Executive Council and endorsed by the AU Assembly during its ordinary sessions. For continuity, five members are elected for threeyear terms and 10 for twoyear terms.
While there are no permanent members, the PSC Protocol does not prevent any Member States from seeking immediate reelection.
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