Peace and Security Council facts for kids

The Peace and Security Council (PSC) is a very important group within the African Union. Think of it like a special team that helps keep peace and safety across Africa. Its main job is to make sure decisions about peace are followed.

The PSC is a bit like the United Nations Security Council, but for Africa. It works with other groups to make sure there is "peace, security and stability in Africa." The main goal of the PSC is to "prevent, manage, and solve conflicts." To do this, it works with smaller groups like the Military Staff Committee.

Countries that join the PSC are chosen by the African Union Executive Council. This choice is then approved by the main African Union Assembly. Members are picked to make sure all parts of Africa are represented. They also need to show they can help with money or soldiers. They must also be willing to work for peace and have good diplomats in Addis Ababa.

The council has fifteen countries. Five countries are chosen for three-year terms. Ten countries are chosen for two-year terms. A country can be chosen again right after its term ends.

How the PSC Started

Why the PSC Was Needed

In the early 1990s, the Organization of African Unity (OAU) was the main group in Africa. It was the group before the African Union (AU). At first, the OAU decided not to get involved in peacekeeping. They wanted to focus on talking to prevent problems. But after terrible conflicts in Rwanda and Burundi, they changed their minds.

By 1995, OAU members started to support peacekeeping. This happened after a big meeting in Addis Ababa. Still, the OAU thought that the United Nations should do most of the peacekeeping work.

Later, many conflicts in Africa were handled by African groups. For example, problems in Liberia and Sierra Leone were solved by the Economic Community of West African States. Conflicts in Lesotho and the Democratic Republic of Congo were handled by the Southern African Development Community.

These regional groups played a big role in solving problems. This made people wonder if the OAU was doing enough. The OAU often made decisions by everyone agreeing. This meant that countries involved in conflicts could stop things from happening. Also, the OAU was very large. It had no clear rules, which made it hard to have good discussions. The OAU also had a rule not to interfere in a country's problems unless that country agreed.

So, in 2001, the OAU decided to create a new group: the African Union. The new African Union needed a main group to make decisions. This group would have clear rules. It would have only 15 members to make decisions faster. Decisions would be made by most votes, not by everyone agreeing. This new group could also suggest sending soldiers to help. After some talks, this group was named the Peace and Security Council. Its rules were written in a document called the Protocol Relating to the Establishment of the Peace and Security Council.

The PSC's Rulebook

The Protocol was approved in July 2002. Most AU members agreed to it by December 2003. This document explains how the PSC is set up. It also lists its smaller committees, its powers, and its goals.

For example, Article 3 lists the PSC's main goals. Article 4 lists its guiding ideas. These ideas come from the AU's own rules, the United Nations' rules, and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Article 5 explains how PSC members are chosen. It also lists what qualities they need to have.

Article 8 talks about how the PSC runs its meetings. This includes rules for voting and creating smaller groups.

The Protocol also describes special groups that help the PSC. These include the Panel of the Wise, the Continental Early Warning System, and the African Standby Force. These are explained in Articles 11, 12, and 13.

Finally, the Protocol explains how the PSC works with regional groups in Article 16. It also explains its relationship with international groups, especially the UN, in Article 17.

How the PSC Works

Meetings

The PSC holds meetings at three different levels. Some meetings are for permanent representatives. Others are for ministers. The highest level meetings are for heads of state. Permanent representatives meet at least twice a month. The other two levels meet at least once a year.

Before 2007, there were three types of meetings. Formal meetings discussed reports about conflicts. Briefing sessions gave members updates on topics like terrorism. Consultation meetings helped members understand an issue better.

After 2007, the PSC changed its meeting types. Now, they have public meetings, closed meetings, consultations, and "Arria-type" meetings. In "Arria-type" meetings, PSC members can talk informally with people who are not part of the government.

By 2016, the PSC had held over 600 meetings.

Chairperson of the Commission

Every month, a new chairperson is chosen from the PSC members. The chairperson changes based on the alphabetical order of the member countries' names in English.

Members

The PSC was partly inspired by the United Nations Security Council. However, unlike the UN Security Council, the PSC does not have any permanent members. No country has veto power either. All 15 members have equal power. Ten members serve for two years, and five members serve for three years. Members are chosen to make sure all regions of Africa are represented. To become a member, each country must meet certain requirements. These are listed in Article 5 of the Protocol Relating to the Establishment of the Peace and Security Council.

Each term starts on April 1st and ends on March 31st. As of April 2020, many countries have been members of the PSC. Morocco, for example, started a three-year term as president of the PSC in February 2024. This shows its commitment to peace and safety in Africa.

What the PSC Does

Its Main Job

The main job of the PSC is to respond to conflicts in Africa. It uses a system of shared safety and early warning systems to spot problems quickly. Article 3 of the Relating to the Establishment of the Peace and Security Council explains the PSC's goals in more detail.

Its Powers

Article 7 of the Protocol Relating to the Establishment of the Peace and Security Council lists the PSC's powers.

Some of these powers include:

• Helping to make and build peace to solve conflicts.
• Suggesting military help to the AU Assembly in very serious situations. These include war crimes, genocide, and crimes against humanity.
• Working closely with regional groups and the United Nations.
• Helping with humanitarian aid.
• Making decisions on any other issue that affects peace and safety in Africa.

Peace Support Missions

The PSC has approved or led many peace missions in Africa. Here are some of them:

• African Union Mission in Burundi (AMIB) – This mission helped Burundi from 2003 to 2004. It was later replaced by a UN mission.
• African Union Mission in Sudan (AMIS) – This mission worked in Sudan from 2004 to 2007.
• African Union Military Observer Mission in the Comoros (MIOC) – This mission was in the Comoros in 2004.
• African Union Mission for Support to the Elections in Comoros (AMISEC) – This mission helped with elections in the Comoros in 2006.
• African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) – This mission started in 2007 and is still ongoing. The UN Security Council approved its deployment.
• African Union Electoral and Security Assistance Mission to the Comoros (MAES) – This mission helped the Comoros from 2007 to 2008.
• African Union/United Nations Hybrid Mission (UNAMID) – This joint mission with the UN started in Darfur in 2008 and is still ongoing.
• Regional Cooperation Initiative for the Elimination of the Lord's Resistance Army (RCI-LRA) – This mission worked to stop the Lord's Resistance Army from 2011 to 2017. The PSC approved it in 2011.
• African-led International Support Mission to Mali (AFISMA) – This mission helped Mali in 2013.
• African-led Support Mission to the Central African Republic (MISCA) – This mission helped the Central African Republic from 2013 to 2014. It took over from an earlier regional mission and later became a UN mission.
• Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) – This force has been working since 2015.
• Regional Protection Force – This force was approved in 2016 to help the UN mission in South Sudan. Some troops were deployed in 2017.

Some operations were approved but never started:

• In December 2015, the PSC approved sending up to 5000 troops to Burundi. This was to help restore order after political violence. However, the Government of Burundi did not welcome this mission, so it never deployed.