ADDIS ABABA – The African Union Peace and Security Council (PSC) has ordered all foreign forces in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) without a mandate to vacate immediately.
The council, which convened in Addis Ababa at the Heads of State and Governments level on Friday to address the ongoing crises in Sudan and the eastern DRC, resolved that there was no military solution to the crisis.
The meeting was chaired by Teodoro Obiang, president of Equatorial Guinea and chairperson of the AU PSC for February 2025.
Opening the meeting, Obiang emphasised the urgency of addressing the situations in Sudan and the DRC.
“Today, we have gathered here to establish a crucial dialogue on the very concerning situations in Sudan and DRC. This crisis keeps escalating, presenting challenges not only for the Sudanese population, but for the entire African continent,” he stated.
He highlighted that the conflicts in Sudan and the DRC have plunged the countries into political and humanitarian crises. The consequences have been devastating, with hundreds of lives lost, millions displaced and essential infrastructure severely damaged.
The eastern DRC has been embroiled in conflict following significant territorial gains by the M23 rebels.
The closed-door session allegedly saw president Paul Kagame walking out shortly after delivering a speech in which he allegedly criticised African leaders for interfering in matters they did not fully understand. Kagame insisted that if the council demanded the departure of Rwandan forces, then all foreign forces, including the Southern African Development Community (SADC) mission, should also pull out. Sources said the SADC chairperson clarified that SADC forces were in the DRC with a mandate, whereas those without a mandate should leave.
Despite ongoing conflicts in the DRC, Congolese president Félix Tshisekedi did not attend the summit. Instead, Prime Minister Judith Suminwa Tuluka represented the country, diplomatic sources said.
Namibia was represented by a five-member delegation headed by International Cooperation minister Peya Mushelenga. Namibia had previously proposed a quadripartite mechanism involving the AU, the Great Lakes region, SADC and the East African Community to facilitate dialogue between the DRC and Rwanda.
Its position has been and will always be that parties to conflicts should try by all means to resolve their disputes through peaceful means, as stipulated in the Constitution.
Elections
Djibouti’s foreign minister Mahamoud Ali Youssouf was elected the new chairperson of the African Union Commission (AUC). He beat competitors Raila Amolo Odinga of Kenya and Richard Randriamandrato of Madagascar to the position.
Meanwhile, Algeria’s ambassador Selma Malika Haddadi was elected deputy chairperson of the AUC at the 38th AU Assembly currently underway in Addis Ababa.
Odinga (80), previously served as the AU’s High Representative for Infrastructure, and is also Kenya’s former prime minister. Youssouf (59), has been Djibouti’s chief diplomat for years, while Randriamandrato (56), was Madagascar’s former foreign minister.
Youssouf becomes the seventh AUC chairperson since the commission’s establishment in 2002.
He won the race in the seventh round securing 33 votes, beating Odinga into second place, and will chair the commission for the next four years.
Youssouf replaces outgoing Moussa Faki, who served two terms. The AUC chairperson can serve for a maximum of two four-year terms.
AU Assembly
The African Union’s 38th Ordinary Assembly began on Saturday in Ethiopia’s capital Addis Ababa, bringing together Heads of State to discuss key regional and continental issues, including peace and security, economic integration and institutional reforms.
The two-day summit, which was expected to conclude yesterday, was set to see African leaders deliberate on the state of peace and security, the African Continental Free Trade Area and institutional reforms, amongst other strategic matters.
In his welcoming remarks, Ethiopian prime minister Abiy Ahmed called on African nations to strengthen unity for sustainable development. He also emphasised that Africa’s pursuit of justice for historical damage should not be misinterpreted as a request for aid.
Outgoing AU chairperson, president Mohamed Ould Ghazouani of Mauritania, congratulated his Angolan counterpart João Lourenço on succeeding him.
Lourenço said his leadership would focus on fiscal justice, climate funding and debt relief.
As Angola assumed its first-ever AU chairmanship, Burundi, Ghana and Tanzania were elected as first, second and third vice chairs respectively, while Mauritania became rapporteur.
Amongst the speakers, UN Secretary General António Guterres expressed full support for UN Security Council reform, advocating permanent African representation.
“There is no excuse for Africa not to have permanent representation in the UN Security Council,” he said, stressing the need for inclusion.
He also called for immediate dialogue among warring parties in the eastern DRC.
Additionally, speakers, including the outgoing AUC chair, expressed solidarity with the Palestinian people.
Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas told the gathering that the idea of deporting Palestinians from their land is “a mere delusion.”
“The issue of deporting Palestinians from Gaza is a major distraction meant to let the war crimes committed by the Zionist gang slide,” he emphasised.
Reparations
Another major theme of the summit is reparatory justice and racial healing in Africa. Leaders at the summit are expected to reflect on the summit’s theme “Justice for Africans and People of African Descent Through Reparations”.
In a statement, the African Union said “the scope of this conversation goes beyond historical injustices into the current fabric of societies around the world.”
At the 37th Ordinary Session of the AU in February 2023, leaders from across the continent decided that pursuing justice and equity for Africans and all people of African descent should be a major policy issue.
“The complexities of addressing past wrongs, whether they stem from colonialism, transatlantic enslavement, apartheid or systemic discrimination necessitate a thorough examination and strategic approach,” the AU statement said.
“The reparations’ theme will further drive momentum generated over the years,” it added.