African Union - The African Mirror

Feb

16

2026

African Union brokers watershed peace agreement for South Sudan as regional crises mount

NEWS

AFRICAN leaders on Sunday brokered a landmark agreement aimed at ending years of political deadlock in South Sudan, securing commitments from President Salva Kiir to hold long-delayed elections while releasing political detainees, including detained Vice President Riek Machar. The deal, hammered out during a high-stakes meeting of the Committee of Five (C5) on the sidelines of the 39th African Union Summit, marks the most significant diplomatic breakthrough in South Sudan's troubled transition since the 2018 Revitalised Peace Agreement. Under the six-point framework announced by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, who chaired the session, Juba has agreed to implement an immediate…

Feb

28

2026

By OWN CORRESPONDENT

UN Chief’s farewell to Africa: Guterres pledges lifelong solidarity as tenure nears end

NEWS

IN an emotionally charged address to the African Union, outgoing UN Secretary-General António Guterres delivered what he insisted was "not a farewell" but a solemn pledge of eternal solidarity with the continent that has defined his decade-long tenure. Speaking with unusual candour, Guterres declared Africa would remain "priority number one" until his final day in office on December 31, and promised the continent would stay "at the centre of my concerns" for the rest of his life. He concluded in Portuguese: "Africa Sempre" — Africa Always. The Portuguese diplomat's tribute laid bare the depth of his partnership with African nations,…

Feb

14

2026

By OWN CORRESPONDENT

African Union welcomes DRC-M23 ceasefire agreement signed in Doha

NEWS

THE African Union has welcomed the signing of a ceasefire mechanism between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the M23 rebel group, calling it a significant step toward de-escalating violence in the country's volatile eastern region. AU Commission Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf praised the February 3 agreement signed in Doha, Qatar, describing it as "a significant confidence-building measure" and a positive development toward restoring peace and security in eastern DRC. The terms of reference establish a framework for monitoring and implementing a ceasefire between the DRC government and the Alliance Fleuve Congo/M23 (AFC/M23), addressing a conflict that has displaced…

Jan

20

2026

By ALEMAYEHU WELDEMARIAM

Israel’s recognition of Somaliland is about political alliances, not legal principles

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

ISRAEL’S decision to recognise Somaliland as an independent nation has been described as historic by Somaliland’s president, Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi. He framed the December 2025 declaration as the first decisive breach in the wall of diplomatic isolation that has surrounded Somaliland for more than three decades. Somaliland has operated as a fully functional de facto state with defined territory, population and government since declaring independence from Somalia in 1991. But it lacks international recognition. This would allow it full participation in the global community, such as membership in the United Nations, as well as boosting its economic opportunities. I am…

Jan

20

2026

By CHIDI ANSELM ODINKALU

Africa’s human rights institutions are electing leaders. Why this matters

SPECIAL FEATURES: ANALYSIS

MEMBER states of the African Union (AU) will hold their most consequential election of the year in February 2026, to fill ten vacancies in continental human rights institutions. They will elect three experts to the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights and seven to the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child. These individuals will serve on the committee for five years and on the commission for six, alongside 23 peers with unexpired terms. The elections are important because these institutions exist primarily to ensure that the continent’s governments take African lives seriously. They…

Jan

16

2026

By EVELYN NAMAKULA MAYANJA

Uganda’s autocratic political system is failing its people – and threatens the region

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

WHEN he was first sworn in as Uganda’s president in 1986, Yoweri Museveni declared that his victory represented a “fundamental change”. He promised that Ugandans would no longer die at the hands of fellow citizens. He also criticised African leaders who sought international prestige while their people lacked food, healthcare and dignity. In his books Sowing the Mustard Seed (published in 1997) and What Is Africa’s Problem? (2000), Museveni condemned leaders who overstayed in power. Now nearly four decades into his rule, Uganda’s promised democratic renewal has been replaced by increasingly autocratic governance. Once the liberator, Museveni has become the…

Jan

05

2026

By OWN CORRESPONDENT

Why only the AU and only two countries condemn Trump’s Venezuela strike, abduction

NEWS

THE African Union's condemnation of US military strikes on Venezuela and the capture of President Nicolás Maduro arrived swiftly on January 3, calling the action a violation of state sovereignty. South Africa's government followed with even stronger language, demanding an emergency UN Security Council session. But across a continent of 54 nations, the silence from individual African leaders has been deafening. No presidents have issued personal statements. Foreign ministers from Nigeria, Egypt, Ethiopia, and Kenya have stayed silent. Even countries like Algeria and Namibia - traditionally vocal supporters of anti-imperialist causes - have remained conspicuously quiet as one of the…

Dec

31

2025

By OWN CORRESPONDENT

Israel’s Somaliland gambit: a nation stands alone against global condemnation

NEWS

ISRAEL’S recognition of Somaliland as an independent state has triggered what may be the most unified international rebuke the country has faced in recent memory. Not a single nation has endorsed the move. Even Israel's closest ally, the United States, has explicitly distanced itself from the decision. The scale of opposition is remarkable. Twenty-one countries spanning the Islamic world - from Algeria to Yemen, from Iran to Saudi Arabia - issued a joint condemnation through the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation. The African Union, Arab League, Gulf Cooperation Council, and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) all rejected the recognition. At…

Dec

31

2025

By The African Mirror

A new way forward is needed for Somalia

SPECIAL FEATURES: ANALYSIS

SOMALIA is at a defining moment. Decades of investment in state-building are threatened by a fragmented political landscape, underfunding of the African Union’s military shield, and a humanitarian system running on fumes. The future of the AU’s peace enforcement mission is a particular worry. The almost two-decade deployment was supposed to transition to Somali ownership of its security future. But recent gains by the insurgent group al-Shabab have exposed a troubling lack of readiness. On 1 January 2025, the AU troops were rehatted as the AU Support and Stabilisation Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM). But the new designation carries the same…

Dec

10

2025

By RICHARD FOSU

Africa’s power grabs are rising – the AU’s mixed response is making things worse

SPECIAL FEATURES: ANALYSIS

HARDLY a month goes by without news of another unconstitutional change of government on the African continent. These can take one of three forms. The first is a military coup d’état or violent change of (democratically) elected government. The second is the refusal of an incumbent government to relinquish power after losing an election. And finally, manipulating constitutions to win or extend the term limits of an incumbent government. We study peace and conflict in Africa, as well as African Union law. We set out these three categories in a paper we published in 2023. In it, we analysed unconstitutional…