The Arab Republic of Egypt will assume the chairship of the African Union (AU) Peace and Security Council (PSC) for the month of February. The Provisional Programme of Work (PPoW) for the month includes four substantive sessions covering five agenda items. Among the five agenda items, two will cover country-specific situations, two will cover thematic issues, and another session will consider and adopt the ‘Report of the Activities of the PSC and the State of Peace and Security in Africa.’ The country-specific sessions will be convened at the ministerial level, while the thematic sessions will be held at the ambassadorial level. In addition, the PPoW includes two informal consultations – one with Sudan and another with Member States in Political Transition. The 48^th Ordinary Session of the AU Executive Council and the 39^th Ordinary Session of the Assembly will also be held during this month. A field visit is also planned for the last week of the month. Two meetings will be conducted physically, while two others will take place virtually, with virtual meetings having become part of the norm through practice.

On 3 February, the PSC will convene its first substantive session of the month to consider and adopt the ‘Report on the Activities of the Peace and Security Council and the State of Peace and Security in Africa.’ The session was initially scheduled for January 2026 but was subsequently postponed. Pursuant to Article 7 (q) of the PSC Protocol and in keeping with established institutional practice, the Council will, following its deliberations, transmit the report to the 39^th Ordinary Session of the AU Assembly, which is scheduled for 14 to 15 February 2026. The report is anticipated to present a consolidated account of the PSC’s undertakings during the reporting period, alongside an analytical appraisal of prevailing trends and developments shaping the continent’s peace and security environment.

On 10 February, the PSC will receive two briefings on the situations in Sudan and Somalia at the ministerial level. The session will begin with a briefing on Sudan, preceded by an informal consultation at the ministerial level, which is expected to feature Sudan’s minister. The briefing follows the PSC’s 1319^th session held in December 2025, during which the Council agreed to convene a Ministerial meeting on Sudan on the margins of the 39^th Ordinary Session of the AU Assembly. During that session, the Council welcomed the establishment of the Quintet—the latest configuration in Sudan’s peace efforts—bringing together five multilateral organisations (the AU, IGAD, the UN, the Arab League, and the EU) with the aim of anchoring the political and civilian peace process under AU leadership. Cognisant of the emergence of a de facto two-pronged peacemaking architecture for Sudan (one focusing on ceasefire or humanitarian truce and the other involving the political/civilian track), the Council also called on members of the Quintet and the Quad to work closely together to ensure greater synergy in mediation efforts. In this context, one of the updates expected in the upcoming briefing concerns the consultative meeting of the Quintet held in Egypt in mid-January and the outcomes of that engagement. The briefing is also expected to provide a platform for the PSC to follow up on its previous decisions, including the establishment of an Inter-Departmental Task Force to coordinate humanitarian efforts, receive the latest updates on the security situation since the December meeting, explore ways to enhance coordination among the various mediation initiatives, and recalibrate the AU’s engagement in support of an inclusive, Sudanese-led political dialogue. It would not also be surprising if the issue of the lifting of Sudan’s suspension would arise, more so on account of the fact that it would be one of the issues that the representative of Sudan may likely raise during the informal consultation.

On the same date, the PSC will also receive a briefing on the situation in Somalia, expectedly with a particular focus on the operation and financing of the African Union Support and Stabilisation Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM). At its last meeting, held on 15 December 2025, the PSC considered the report of the Chairperson of the AU Commission, which highlighted key developments in Somalia and progress in the implementation of AUSSOM’s mandate during the period from July to December 2025. The report covered, inter alia, progress towards the operationalisation of the mission, as well as the financial and logistical challenges it continues to face. Against the backdrop of the financial, logistical, operational, and political constraints affecting the mission, the Chairperson of the Commission outlined three options for the PSC’s strategic guidance on the future of AUSSOM. During that session, the Council, instead of pronouncing itself on the proposed options, requested the AU Commission to submit a detailed report elaborating on each option, including their implications for the sustainability of AUSSOM and its operations. The Council further requested the Commission to urgently convene a meeting of AUSSOM TCCs/PCCs at the level of Chiefs of Defence Forces to deliberate on the three options and submit their recommendations for the Council’s consideration. Of immediate interest for the upcoming ministerial session will be to hear from the AU Commission on the PSC’s request for the Commission to fast-track the immediate release of the allocated funds to AUSSOM and to report on its implementation to the next meeting of the Council.’

After the 39^th AU Summit, on 19 February, the PSC will hold an open session on Climate, Peace and Security. The last time the PSC held a session on this subject was at its 1301^st session of September 2025, which situated the climate-security engagement firmly within the wider climate change policy framework, thereby eschewing the risk of bifurcation between the climate change policy process and the climate, peace and security policy making. Apart from the impact of climate change induced depletion of scarce natural resources on which people depend for their livelihoods including water and pasture on conflicts in the Sahel and Lake Chad Basin, discussions are likely to focus on strengthening evidence-based and conflict-sensitive approaches, mobilising adequate and predictable climate finance for adaptation, loss and damage and a just transition, and advancing the integration of climate indicators into early warning and peace and security mechanisms. The session may also provide an update on progress toward the Common African Position (CAP) on Climate, Peace and Security, including ongoing consultations with AU Member States, the African Group of Negotiators and RECs/RMs, as well as its expected alignment with AU climate frameworks and the Paris Agreement – with finalisation now anticipated ahead of COP31.

On 24 February, the PSC will hold a consultation with the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), the World Food Programme (WFP), and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) on the nexus between food, peace and security. The session aims to deepen the Council’s understanding of how conflict, climate shocks and food insecurity reinforce one another across the continent. While the PSC has previously addressed food insecurity within its humanitarian agenda, it was at its 1083^rd session of 9 May 2022 that the Council explicitly dedicated attention to the link between food security and conflict and requested regular briefings by the AU Commission in collaboration with relevant regional institutions. The discussion is additionally expected to build on issues observed in various conflict settings, including the impact of armed conflict on agricultural production, food systems, displacement and market access, as well as on how food assistance, rural development and resilience-building interventions can contribute to conflict prevention and peacebuilding. FAO is expected to provide technical analysis on food security trends and agricultural systems, WFP will draw on operational data from conflict-affected settings where millions depend on emergency food assistance, and IFAD is expected to highlight long-term investments in smallholder livelihoods and rural resilience in fragile contexts. The urgency of this consultation is underscored by ongoing conflicts such as in Sudan, where violence has driven famine in parts of the country, and in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, where sustained insecurity has disrupted farming and supply chains, contributing to acute food insecurity affecting tens of millions.

On 25 February, the PSC is expected to have a field visit. However, not much detail is provided at the time of finalising this edition of Insights on the PSC and going to print.

The month will conclude on 27 February with an informal consultation between the Council and Member States currently in political transition, namely Burkina Faso, Guinea-Bissau, Madagascar, Mali, Niger and Sudan. This will be the fifth such consultation since the PSC institutionalised this format within its working methods following its 14^th Retreat on Working Methods in November 2022. Held in accordance with Article 8(11) of the PSC Protocol, the consultations are held to enable direct engagement with representatives of Member States suspended from AU activities due to unconstitutional changes of government. The session will assess progress made and challenges encountered in ongoing transition processes and consider how the PSC can further strengthen its support for the political normalisation of the affected Member States, building on discussions held during the December 2025 session.  No formal outcome document is expected.

The PPoW in footnotes also includes the presentation of the Report on the Activities of the PSC for 2025 and the State of Peace and Security in Africa to the AU Assembly. This is expected to happen on 14-15 February during the 39^th AU Summit of the Assembly. As per the current practice, Egypt, as Chairperson of the PSSC, will introduce and present a summary followed by a full presentation of the report by the Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security (PAPS). However and in a commendable working methods improvement, for the first time, the proposed draft agenda of the AU Assembly introduces a different approach that singles out the major conflict situations for a dedicated and focused discussion. These are: a) progress report on the AU mediation in Eastern DRC, b) Situation in Sudan and South Sudan, and c) Situation in the Sahel.

In addition to the foregoing, the PSC’s Committee of Experts (CoE) is scheduled to convene two virtual meetings and one physical meeting during the month. The first virtual meeting, to be held on 5 February, will focus on preparations for the ministerial-level sessions on Sudan and Somalia scheduled for 10 February. The other will be a physical meeting on 20 February to convene the inaugural meeting of the PSC Subcommittee on Post-Conflict Reconstruction and Development (PCRD). The final CoE meeting of the month will be held virtually on 23 February and will feature a briefing by the AU Artificial Intelligence Advisory Group on Governance, Peace and Security.

The Arab Republic of Egypt will assume the chairship of the African Union (AU) Peace and Security Council (PSC) for the month of February. The Provisional Programme of Work (PPoW) for the month includes four substantive sessions covering five agenda items. Among the five agenda items, two will cover country-specific situations, two will cover thematic issues, and another session will consider and adopt the ‘Report of the Activities of the PSC and the State of Peace and Security in Africa.’ The country-specific sessions will be convened at the ministerial level, while the thematic sessions will be held at the ambassadorial level. In addition, the PPoW includes two informal consultations – one with Sudan and another with Member States in Political Transition. The 48^th Ordinary Session of the AU Executive Council and the 39^th Ordinary Session of the Assembly will also be held during this month. A field visit is also planned for the last week of the month. Two meetings will be conducted physically, while two others will take place virtually, with virtual meetings having become part of the norm through practice.

On 3 February, the PSC will convene its first substantive session of the month to consider and adopt the ‘Report on the Activities of the Peace and Security Council and the State of Peace and Security in Africa.’ The session was initially scheduled for January 2026 but was subsequently postponed. Pursuant to Article 7 (q) of the PSC Protocol and in keeping with established institutional practice, the Council will, following its deliberations, transmit the report to the 39^th Ordinary Session of the AU Assembly, which is scheduled for 14 to 15 February 2026. The report is anticipated to present a consolidated account of the PSC’s undertakings during the reporting period, alongside an analytical appraisal of prevailing trends and developments shaping the continent’s peace and security environment.

On 10 February, the PSC will receive two briefings on the situations in Sudan and Somalia at the ministerial level. The session will begin with a briefing on Sudan, preceded by an informal consultation at the ministerial level, which is expected to feature Sudan’s minister. The briefing follows the PSC’s 1319^th session held in December 2025, during which the Council agreed to convene a Ministerial meeting on Sudan on the margins of the 39^th Ordinary Session of the AU Assembly. During that session, the Council welcomed the establishment of the Quintet—the latest configuration in Sudan’s peace efforts—bringing together five multilateral organisations (the AU, IGAD, the UN, the Arab League, and the EU) with the aim of anchoring the political and civilian peace process under AU leadership. Cognisant of the emergence of a de facto two-pronged peacemaking architecture for Sudan (one focusing on ceasefire or humanitarian truce and the other involving the political/civilian track), the Council also called on members of the Quintet and the Quad to work closely together to ensure greater synergy in mediation efforts. In this context, one of the updates expected in the upcoming briefing concerns the consultative meeting of the Quintet held in Egypt in mid-January and the outcomes of that engagement. The briefing is also expected to provide a platform for the PSC to follow up on its previous decisions, including the establishment of an Inter-Departmental Task Force to coordinate humanitarian efforts, receive the latest updates on the security situation since the December meeting, explore ways to enhance coordination among the various mediation initiatives, and recalibrate the AU’s engagement in support of an inclusive, Sudanese-led political dialogue. It would not also be surprising if the issue of the lifting of Sudan’s suspension would arise, more so on account of the fact that it would be one of the issues that the representative of Sudan may likely raise during the informal consultation.

On the same date, the PSC will also receive a briefing on the situation in Somalia, expectedly with a particular focus on the operation and financing of the African Union Support and Stabilisation Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM). At its last meeting, held on 15 December 2025, the PSC considered the report of the Chairperson of the AU Commission, which highlighted key developments in Somalia and progress in the implementation of AUSSOM’s mandate during the period from July to December 2025. The report covered, inter alia, progress towards the operationalisation of the mission, as well as the financial and logistical challenges it continues to face. Against the backdrop of the financial, logistical, operational, and political constraints affecting the mission, the Chairperson of the Commission outlined three options for the PSC’s strategic guidance on the future of AUSSOM. During that session, the Council, instead of pronouncing itself on the proposed options, requested the AU Commission to submit a detailed report elaborating on each option, including their implications for the sustainability of AUSSOM and its operations. The Council further requested the Commission to urgently convene a meeting of AUSSOM TCCs/PCCs at the level of Chiefs of Defence Forces to deliberate on the three options and submit their recommendations for the Council’s consideration. Of immediate interest for the upcoming ministerial session will be to hear from the AU Commission on the PSC’s request for the Commission to fast-track the immediate release of the allocated funds to AUSSOM and to report on its implementation to the next meeting of the Council.’

After the 39^th AU Summit, on 19 February, the PSC will hold an open session on Climate, Peace and Security. The last time the PSC held a session on this subject was at its 1301^st session of September 2025, which situated the climate-security engagement firmly within the wider climate change policy framework, thereby eschewing the risk of bifurcation between the climate change policy process and the climate, peace and security policy making. Apart from the impact of climate change induced depletion of scarce natural resources on which people depend for their livelihoods including water and pasture on conflicts in the Sahel and Lake Chad Basin, discussions are likely to focus on strengthening evidence-based and conflict-sensitive approaches, mobilising adequate and predictable climate finance for adaptation, loss and damage and a just transition, and advancing the integration of climate indicators into early warning and peace and security mechanisms. The session may also provide an update on progress toward the Common African Position (CAP) on Climate, Peace and Security, including ongoing consultations with AU Member States, the African Group of Negotiators and RECs/RMs, as well as its expected alignment with AU climate frameworks and the Paris Agreement – with finalisation now anticipated ahead of COP31.

On 24 February, the PSC will hold a consultation with the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), the World Food Programme (WFP), and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) on the nexus between food, peace and security. The session aims to deepen the Council’s understanding of how conflict, climate shocks and food insecurity reinforce one another across the continent. While the PSC has previously addressed food insecurity within its humanitarian agenda, it was at its 1083^rd session of 9 May 2022 that the Council explicitly dedicated attention to the link between food security and conflict and requested regular briefings by the AU Commission in collaboration with relevant regional institutions. The discussion is additionally expected to build on issues observed in various conflict settings, including the impact of armed conflict on agricultural production, food systems, displacement and market access, as well as on how food assistance, rural development and resilience-building interventions can contribute to conflict prevention and peacebuilding. FAO is expected to provide technical analysis on food security trends and agricultural systems, WFP will draw on operational data from conflict-affected settings where millions depend on emergency food assistance, and IFAD is expected to highlight long-term investments in smallholder livelihoods and rural resilience in fragile contexts. The urgency of this consultation is underscored by ongoing conflicts such as in Sudan, where violence has driven famine in parts of the country, and in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, where sustained insecurity has disrupted farming and supply chains, contributing to acute food insecurity affecting tens of millions.

On 25 February, the PSC is expected to have a field visit. However, not much detail is provided at the time of finalising this edition of Insights on the PSC and going to print.

The month will conclude on 27 February with an informal consultation between the Council and Member States currently in political transition, namely Burkina Faso, Guinea-Bissau, Madagascar, Mali, Niger and Sudan. This will be the fifth such consultation since the PSC institutionalised this format within its working methods following its 14^th Retreat on Working Methods in November 2022. Held in accordance with Article 8(11) of the PSC Protocol, the consultations are held to enable direct engagement with representatives of Member States suspended from AU activities due to unconstitutional changes of government. The session will assess progress made and challenges encountered in ongoing transition processes and consider how the PSC can further strengthen its support for the political normalisation of the affected Member States, building on discussions held during the December 2025 session.  No formal outcome document is expected.

The PPoW in footnotes also includes the presentation of the Report on the Activities of the PSC for 2025 and the State of Peace and Security in Africa to the AU Assembly. This is expected to happen on 14-15 February during the 39^th AU Summit of the Assembly. As per the current practice, Egypt, as Chairperson of the PSSC, will introduce and present a summary followed by a full presentation of the report by the Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security (PAPS). However and in a commendable working methods improvement, for the first time, the proposed draft agenda of the AU Assembly introduces a different approach that singles out the major conflict situations for a dedicated and focused discussion. These are: a) progress report on the AU mediation in Eastern DRC, b) Situation in Sudan and South Sudan, and c) Situation in the Sahel.

In addition to the foregoing, the PSC’s Committee of Experts (CoE) is scheduled to convene two virtual meetings and one physical meeting during the month. The first virtual meeting, to be held on 5 February, will focus on preparations for the ministerial-level sessions on Sudan and Somalia scheduled for 10 February. The other will be a physical meeting on 20 February to convene the inaugural meeting of the PSC Subcommittee on Post-Conflict Reconstruction and Development (PCRD). The final CoE meeting of the month will be held virtually on 23 February and will feature a briefing by the AU Artificial Intelligence Advisory Group on Governance, Peace and Security.

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) will assume the chairship of the African Union (AU) Peace and Security Council (PSC) for the month of January. The Provisional Programme of Work outlines six substantive sessions, of which five will focus on thematic issues, while one will address a country-specific situation. All sessions are scheduled to be held at the ambassadorial level. With the exception of the open session commemorating Africa Reconciliation Day and reflecting on lessons learned for countries affected by conflict, all meetings will be conducted as closed sessions.

On 12 January, the PSC is scheduled to consider and adopt the Provisional Programme of Work for February through official email correspondence. It is not clear if the recent practice whereby the incoming chairperson presents his/her vision of what is to be accomplished with the items proposed in the program of work is not followed systematically.

On 19 January, the PSC will convene its first substantive session to receive an update on the situation in South Sudan. The Council last considered the situation at its 1308th session on 28 October 2025, when it expressed grave concern over the political and security situation and the risk of relapse into violence. With much of the 2018 Revitalised Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan (R-ARCSS) systematically violated and intensifying conflicts, the PSC called for an all-inclusive, high-level political dialogue as the only viable path toward sustainable solutions. During the upcoming session, a key development likely to feature is the move to amend the R-ARCSS by delinking the general elections scheduled for December 2026 from the permanent constitution-making process, the national population census, and housing data. The Council of Ministers reportedly approved these amendments on 23 December, after which they are expected to undergo further institutional processes, including review by the Reconstituted Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (RJMEC) and ratification by the national legislature. While the government of President Salva Kiir has presented the amendments as a necessary step to facilitate long-delayed elections, opposition groups have rejected them as illegal, arguing that they were adopted without the consent of all parties to the Revitalised Agreement. The PSC is therefore expected to receive updates on these and related developments and their implications for the Agreement, as well as for peace and stability in South Sudan.

On 21 January, the Council will convene its bi-annual consideration of the half-year report of the Chairperson of the AU Commission on elections in Africa. Building on the 1288th session held on 3 July 2025, during which the PSC reviewed elections conducted across the continent in the first half of 2025, the forthcoming session is expected to focus on elections held between July and December 2025. The report is also anticipated to provide an overview of elections scheduled for 2026, with particular attention to those planned for the first half of the year. Elections held in the second half of 2025 that are likely to feature in the Council’s deliberations include those in Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Côte d’Ivoire, Egypt, Gabon, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, Malawi, Seychelles, Somalia, and Tanzania. Despite the attention and scrutiny that the elections in Cameroon and Tanzania attracted following reports of post-electoral violence accompanying Cameroon’s presidential election and Tanzania’s general elections, it is not anticipated that these elections will be subjected to critical scrutiny separate from other elections. The exception to this is the situation in Guinea-Bissau, where the largely credible election that had a clear winner was interrupted by a coup upon the military seizure of power by the ‘High Military Command for the Restoration of National Security and Public Order’. In addition to its treatment as part of the elections held in the second half of 2025, the PSC may also have a dedicated session to consider the conclusion of Guinea’s transition period, the general elections held on 28 December 2025, despite the lack of compliance with Article 25(4) of the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance (ACDEG).

On 23 January, the PSC will hold its third substantive session of the month to consider the ‘Report on the Activities of the Peace and Security Council and the State of Peace and Security in Africa’. Pursuant to Article 7 (q) of the PSC Protocol and in keeping with established institutional practice, the Council will, following its deliberations, transmit the report to the 39^th Ordinary Session of the AU Assembly, scheduled for mid-February 2026. The report is anticipated to present a consolidated account of the PSC’s undertakings during the reporting period, alongside an analytical appraisal of prevailing trends and developments shaping the continent’s peace and security environment.

On 28 January, the PSC will convene to discuss the revitalisation and consolidation of the Sanctions Sub-Committee. The session is expected to focus on clarifying the Sub-Committee’s terms of reference and mandate, as well as strengthening information-sharing and the exchange of experiences with experts from the United Nations Security Council. Notably, in 2025, the PSC did not convene any session to consider the activities of the Sub-Committee. Although the Sub-Committee was scheduled to meet on 24 June to provide updates on its work, there are no indications that this meeting took place. The forthcoming session is being held pursuant to a decision adopted by the PSC at its 1248th session, which requested the Sanctions Sub-Committee to urgently review the scope of its mandate to encompass violations of the AU Constitutive Act and the PSC Protocol beyond unconstitutional changes of government. In this context, the discussion is expected to revisit the AU’s sanctions framework, which has historically been applied primarily in cases of unconstitutional changes of government, and to assess the Union’s experience in investigating and sanctioning member states for breaches of other agreed norms. The session will also seek to draw lessons from United Nations best practices on investigations, the imposition of sanctions, and the monitoring and enforcement of compliance, with a view to adapting these processes to the AU context as relevant. Expanding the AU sanctions regime to address violations of other AU norms is therefore expected to constitute a central element of the deliberations.

On 29 January, the PSC will deliberate on the theme ‘Illegal exploitation of natural resources and proliferation of weapons in Africa as aggravating factors in conflicts: prospects for strengthening control mechanisms by the AU, Regional Economic Communities/Regional Mechanisms (RECs/RMs) and Member States’ with a focus on the Sahel, the Lake Chad Basin, Sudan, and the Great Lakes region. This is not the first time the DRC has placed this issue on the Council’s agenda during its chairship. In November 2024, at its 1246th session, the PSC, during DRC’s chairship, discussed strengthening mechanisms to curb the illegal exploitation of natural resources by armed and terrorist groups. At that session, the Council requested the AU Counter-Terrorism Centre (AUCTC) to undertake a study on the issue and tasked the AU Commission with developing robust mechanisms to combat the illicit exploitation and trade of natural resources. The session also comes against the backdrop of growing concern over the proliferation of weapons, which continues to fuel terrorism, organised crime, and violent conflicts across regions—from the Sahel and coastal West Africa to the Great Lakes—as recently noted by the AU High Representative for Silencing the Guns. Factors such as porous borders, weak stockpile management, inadequate arms transfer controls, and the expansion of terrorism and organised crime have exacerbated the problem. The upcoming meeting will therefore provide an opportunity to assess progress on previous PSC decisions and to explore ways of strengthening continental, regional, and national control mechanisms to address the illicit exploitation of natural resources and the proliferation of weapons.

The Council’s final engagement of the month will take place on 31 January, when it will convene an open session marking the fourth commemoration of the African Day of Peace and Reconciliation, with a focus on lessons for countries affected by conflict. The session is expected to facilitate comparative reflection on national reconciliation trajectories and to distil practical insights on how the AU can more effectively advance peace and reconciliation across the continent. The African Day of Peace and Reconciliation is observed annually on 31 January and has been commemorated on that date in each of the previous three cycles, following its designation at the 16^th Extraordinary Session of the AU Assembly of Heads of State and Government held in May 2022 in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, during which João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço was appointed as the AU Champion for Peace and Reconciliation in Africa.

In addition to the substantive sessions, the PSC’s Committee of Experts (CoE) is scheduled to convene virtually on two occasions during the month. From 14 to 16 January, the CoE will meet to consider the Report on the Activities of the Peace and Security Council and the State of Peace and Security in Africa. This will be followed by another virtual CoE meeting on 26 and 27 January, focusing on the revitalisation and consolidation of the PSC Sanctions Sub-Committee.