Kenya is set to chair the African Union Peace and Security Council (AUPSC) for the month of February 2022.
Kenya’s leadership at the Council comes hot on the heels of a successful presidency in October 2021 of the UN Security Council, the principal organ for the maintenance and furtherance of International Peace and Security, where Kenya executed a work program that championed: Regional Peace, Climate and Security, Countering Terrorism and Violent Extremism, Support operations and Peacebuilding in the region and across the continent.
This is also happening almost a year after Kenya chaired in March 2021 the AUPSC where Kenya was instrumental in advocating for a reinvigorated role of the A-3 at the UN Security Council.
Kenya had highlighted at the AUPSC that the unified voice of the A-3+1 in the UN Security Council can only be as strong as the voice of the AUPSC. This was successfully executed during Kenya’s presidency of the UNSC.
The A3+1 arrangement becomes a formidable part of the UN Security Council Political workings, in addition to providing a critical platform for the prosecution of Africa’s Agenda – and that of the Sixth Region (the Caribbean) – at the UN Security Council.
As the chair of the Council, Kenya will prosecute the Council’s Agenda for the month in furtherance of continental peace and security. During the first week of February Executive Council meeting of Permanent Representatives will precede a meeting by Foreign Ministers.
The Executive Council has discussed and adopted the program of work for the month of February.
A meeting at the Heads of State and Government level will be held on 16th February which among other things will discuss the situation in Western Sahara and follow up on the Nairobi declaration on Terrorism and Violent Extremism.
At the AUPSC Summit on 9th March 2021 chaired by H.E President Uhuru Kenyatta, the Heads of State and Government recalled the principles that underpinned the resolution of the 14th Extra-ordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the AU, which addressed the matter of “Silencing the Guns in Africa in Africa by 2020”.
In this respect, the Summit called for a ceasefire in Sahrawi, noting that there could never be meaningful continental integration, as long as the guns were not silent. The Summit further urged the Council not to relent in its quest for a sustainable and just peace in Africa.
Amb Raychelle Omamo, Cabinet Secretary for Foreign Affairs will chair on 8th a meeting on Urbanization, Women, Peace and Security in Africa. Selected special guests and relevant UN agencies will be invited to make statements during the discussions.
“The objective of the discussion is to review new emerging international peace and security risks linked to growing inequalities across territories and within cities that are fueled by climate change, conflict over land, and economic disparities.” Cabinet Secretary Amb Raychelle Omamo said.
The Foreign ministers will also discuss the role that sustainable urbanization and effective cities and local governments can play in preventing an escalation of conflicts, rebuilding the social contract, and preventing further displacement, extremism and proxy wars.
They will also focus on promoting bottom-up stabilization efforts to complement higher-level peace processes in conflict situations.
Other issues to be discussed at the ministerial level include: consideration of the situation in South Sudan, an update on the situation in Sudan and receive an update on the status of consultations on AMISOM Post 2021.
The United Nations Unanimously passed resolution 2614 extending the mandate of the African Union Mission to Somalia (AMISOM) until 31 March 2022, ahead of a phased handover of responsibilities to Somalia’s security forces early next year.
The extension was to provide a rollover in preparation for a reconfigured African Union-led mission in Somalia.
AUPSC consultations will discuss issues pertaining to the size and financing of the reconfigured Mission to better deal with the Al-Shabaab threat, and work on building capacity of reconfigured force to take over the security responsibilities.
Two issues stand out as being central to peace and security, human rights as well as development in an urbanizing world, which require particular attention of the Peace and Security Council: land issues, and urban violence.
It has been documented that Conflict around land can be a root cause or trigger for armed conflicts, a critical factor causing its relapse, or a bottleneck to recovery. Conversely, addressing land issues can make a significant contribution to building resilience and sustaining peace.
Several decades of research and evidence from interventions on the ground demonstrates that urban dynamics and characteristics have an important influence on the levels of crime and violence in a city.
As the month of February comes to an end Amb Jean Kamau, Kenya’s Permanent Representative to the African Union and Kenya’s Ambassador to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia will lead the AUPSC for a week long field mission to South Sudan.
