3 Critical Goals: How the UN AU Partnership is Reshaping Africa’s Security Future

A powerful diplomatic alliance is taking center stage in the quest for African stability. During a recent United Nations Security Council briefing on cooperation between the UN and the African Union (AU), US officials outlined a compelling vision for a strengthened UN AU partnership. This collaborative framework is being positioned as the cornerstone for achieving peace, security, and prosperity across the African continent. The briefing, which featured remarks from key envoys, highlighted the shared interest in aligning strategies to make peace operations as effective as possible. From the devastating crisis in Sudan to the persistent conflicts in Somalia and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the need for a cohesive and robust UN AU partnership has never been more urgent. The United States has explicitly endorsed the Secretary-General’s recommendations to accelerate efforts, ensuring this partnership is mutually reinforcing, more accountable, and ultimately more effective for the people it serves.

The American delegation expressed deep appreciation for the leadership shown by all parties, signaling strong international backing for this collaborative approach. The core philosophy is clear: by combining the global reach and resources of the UN with the local knowledge, legitimacy, and comparative advantages of the AU, the international community can craft more sustainable solutions to Africa’s most intractable problems. This UN AU partnership is not merely a theoretical concept; it is an operational necessity. With UN, AU, and regional peace operations active in some of Africa’s most fragile regions, synchronizing their vision, policies, and directives is crucial to avoiding duplication of effort and maximizing impact on the ground. The current crises spotlighted in the briefing serve as a stark reminder of what is at stake and why this strategic UN AU partnership must be prioritized and strengthened without delay.

1. Containing Continental Crises: Sudan, DRC, and Somalia

The first and most immediate goal of the enhanced UN AU partnership is to address the raging fires of active conflict. The briefing specifically highlighted three critical hotspots where coordinated action is non-negotiable.

• The Sudan Catastrophe: The situation in Sudan was described with utmost seriousness. The US reiterated its demand for an immediate end to the “senseless violence” that has ravaged the country. In this context, the UN AU partnership finds a crucial role. The American delegation welcomed the efforts of UN Envoy Lamamra to coordinate the UN’s response with the AU and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD). This tripartite coordination is essential for delivering humanitarian aid, facilitating dialogue, and laying the groundwork for a sustainable ceasefire. A disjointed international response would only exacerbate the suffering of the Sudanese people, making the UN AU partnership a literal lifeline.
• Stabilizing the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC): In the DRC, the UN AU partnership is called upon to support a US and Qatari-led peace process. The ongoing conflict in the eastern DRC requires a consistent and unified international stance. The briefing emphasized that it is essential for both the AU and the UN to continue backing this initiative to resolve persistent conflicts and bring prosperity to all Congolese citizens. A fragmented approach from the two leading international bodies would undermine the credibility and effectiveness of the peace process, demonstrating why a cohesive UN AU partnership is so vital.
• The Long War in Somalia: The US position on Somalia introduced a strategic shift, underscoring the evolving nature of the UN AU partnership. While reaffirming America’s commitment to the fight against terrorism in Somalia, the statement signaled that it is “ultimately time” for other partners with interests in the country’s security and stability to “step up their financial support.” This indicates a desire to leverage the UN AU partnership to create a more balanced and sustainable burden-sharing model, moving beyond a reliance on a single donor and fostering a broader, more resilient coalition for Somali stability.

2. Institutionalizing African-Led Solutions Through UNSC Resolution 2719

Beyond immediate crisis response, the second major goal of the UN AU partnership is to build lasting institutional frameworks that empower African-led solutions. The US address placed significant emphasis on UN Security Council Resolution 2719, viewing it as a promising instrument for promoting more effective and sustainable African-led solutions to conflicts.

• A Groundbreaking Innovation: The resolution is recognized as a “key innovation” for strengthening the AU-UN collaboration and leveraging the AU’s comparative advantages in addressing African conflicts. This represents a formal acknowledgment at the highest level of international law that African problems often require African-led solutions, supported by global resources.
• Safeguarding the Framework’s Integrity: However, the US statement included a crucial caveat, revealing the delicate negotiations underpinning this UN AU partnership. The delegation made it clear that the US would not support any proposed implementation of Resolution 2719 that “undermines the tool’s longevity or contravenes the spirit and letter of the framework.” This underscores the fact that while the US strongly supports African leadership, it is also keen to ensure that any actions taken under this resolution adhere to international norms and do not create unsustainable or unaccountable structures. This careful positioning highlights the complex balancing act inherent in a truly equitable UN AU partnership.
• Formalizing Counter-Terrorism Cooperation: Further institutionalization was welcomed in the form of the AU Peace and Security Council’s formal adoption of Terms of Reference for its Counter-Terrorism Sub-Committee. This move, supported by the UN AU partnership, will help the AU provide practical assistance to conflict-affected member states, strengthen resilience, enhance regional cooperation, and implement the AU’s counter-terrorism framework. This is a concrete example of how the partnership is helping to build durable African capacity to handle security challenges.

The strategic vision for the UN AU partnership extends far beyond firefighting individual conflicts. It is about fostering a fundamental shift in how international peace and security are managed in Africa. By combining the AU’s deep contextual understanding, political legitimacy, and rapid deployment capabilities with the UN’s extensive logistical network, funding mechanisms, and global diplomatic weight, the partnership creates a synergy that neither organization could achieve alone. This collaborative model is essential for addressing the root causes of conflict, such as governance deficits, economic inequality, and climate change, which often fuel violence. The US commitment to supporting “close cooperation” between the UN, regional bodies like the AU, and sub-regional organizations indicates a holistic understanding of African security. A robust UN AU partnership acts as the central pillar in this multi-layered approach, ensuring that interventions are culturally sensitive, politically informed, and locally owned. The success of this UN AU partnership will not be measured by meetings held or statements issued, but by tangible improvements in the lives of ordinary Africans—by conflicts resolved, displaced families returning home, and children attending school in safety. The continued US endorsement provides crucial momentum, but the ultimate test will be on the ground, in places like Sudan, the DRC, and Somalia, where the principles of this vital UN AU partnership are put into practice every day.

3. Forging a New Model for Burden-Sharing and Accountability

The third critical goal emerging from the briefing is the transition towards a more balanced and accountable model of international engagement in Africa. The US statements on Somalia and Resolution 2719 both point in this direction.

• Financial Burden-Sharing: The call for other partners to increase their financial support for Somalia is a direct appeal for a more equitable distribution of costs. The UN AU partnership provides the ideal platform to coordinate this burden-sharing, ensuring that security efforts in Somalia and elsewhere are not held hostage by the budgetary constraints of a single nation.
• Operational Accountability: The emphasis on ensuring that Resolution 2719 is implemented without contravening its spirit and letter is a demand for accountability. It signals that while the US supports African leadership, it expects operations conducted under the UN AU partnership umbrella to be transparent, effective, and aligned with agreed-upon international standards.
• A Sustainable Future: Ultimately, this push for burden-sharing and accountability is about building a sustainable security architecture for Africa. A model reliant on a single benefactor is fragile. A model where the AU leads with the support of a broad coalition of international partners, coordinated through a strong UN AU partnership, is far more resilient and capable of withstanding political and financial shocks.

The path forward is complex, filled with diplomatic challenges and operational hurdles. However, the renewed commitment to a strategic UN AU partnership outlined in the Security Council briefing offers a clear and coherent framework for action. By focusing on containing active crises, institutionalizing African-led solutions, and forging a new model of international cooperation, this partnership holds the promise of a more peaceful and prosperous future for the African continent.

Read More News