Themes of concept sessions held by Egypt during chairmanship of AU Peace and Security Council showcased

CAIRO – 2 December 2021: Permanent Representative of Egypt to the African Union (AU) Mohamed Omar Gad detailed Wednesday the country's achievements while chairing the AU Peace and Security Council (PSC) in November 2021.

The ambassador clarified that five concept sessions were held, including a ministerial one on combating terrorism through unpacking extremist discourse and ideologies in addition to eliminating funding sources.

Gad elaborated that such session was an opportunity to present the Egyptian leading experience on that front, particularly presidential initiatives aimed at renewing the religious discourse in collaboration with religious entities. The session also stipulated the salience of exchanging experience and information on the best practices in that realm among African countries, especially in light of the growth of terror threats in Sahel, Horn of Africa, and Central Africa.

Similarly, a session on post-conflict peace building, reconstruction, and development took place in addition to a number of consultation sessions between the PSC and the UN Peacebuilding Commission (PBC). Within this framework, the ambassador showcased that Egypt prioritizes that matter on the AU-level, and that the country already houses the headquarters of the African Union Center for Post-Conflict Reconstruction and Development (PCRD) launched in November.  

In a related context, a session on protecting medical facilities and teams during armed conflicts, and another on reinforcing the role of women in peace and security convened.  

Coping with the international orientation toward combating climate change, a session tackled the impact of the phenomenon on African peace and security.  

Equally, the permanent representative of Egypt to the AU highlighted other activities pertinent to conflicts on the continent so as consultations on crises endured by the Horn of Africa took place. That is addition to discussions on developments in Sudan, particularly after the Political Agreement signed on November 21.

What's more, a PSC delegation held a visit to the Somali capital, Mogadishu, on November 8-10 examining ways of support to the country in the organization of elections, which were held later in the same month. The delegation also conferred with the Somali side over the status of the AU peacekeeping forces in the country starting 2022.

On the technical level, the Egyptian delegation chaired consultations with the UN Security Council experts preparing for the joint consultative meeting between the PSC and the UN body scheduled for December. Moreover, a series of consultative meetings with department heads at the UN secretary general took place discussing matters of mutual interests, and issues pertaining to peace and security in Africa.