An extraordinary summit of the African Union (AU), held on Sunday in the Angolan capital Luanda, underscored the need to hold the organisation’s various structures accountable for implementing decisions on peace and security across the African continent.
The declaration was made by AU Commission Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf at a press conference that closed the meeting — the first AU summit dedicated exclusively to conflict prevention and resolution. Forty-nine of the bloc’s 55 member states were represented, though only a limited number of heads of state and government attended in person.
Presenting the conclusions of the proceedings, Mahmoud Ali Youssouf stressed the need to apply the principle of accountability in order to ensure greater effectiveness in implementing decisions adopted at summits.
He said the principle must encompass all of the organisation’s mechanisms, from the Peace and Security Council to the Continental Early Warning System, the Intelligence and Security Committee, the African Standby Force, and the AU Peace Force. Member states were called upon to demonstrate ‘political will’ to ensure that decisions taken by heads of state and government yield concrete results.
AU rotating chairperson Évariste Ndayishimiye stated that ‘the promises of Luanda and its commitments must not be mere declarations of principle — they must culminate in concrete, measurable results on the ground.’
The Burundian president also called for the mobilisation of financial resources, particularly for the AU Peace Fund, and argued that the peace and security agenda must be financed by African countries themselves. The organisation does not, however, exclude financial support from international partners, provided it is grounded in ‘mutual respect, sovereignty, territorial integrity, and African ownership of solutions to internal challenges.’
Ndayishimiye noted that the summit took place against a backdrop of complex security challenges, including armed conflicts, terrorism, violent extremism, political crises, unconstitutional changes of government, forced displacement, cyber threats, disinformation, and geopolitical rivalries.
In the face of these challenges, he argued that Africa must strengthen its capacity to prevent conflicts and resolve them through peaceful means.
The outcomes of the summit were presented jointly by AU Chairperson Évariste Ndayishimiye, Commission Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, and Angolan President João Lourenço at a press conference that took no questions. The Angolan head of state, who hosted the meeting, did not address the gathering.
João Lourenço was awarded the title of AU Champion for Peace and Reconciliation in Africa and was praised for his commitment to strengthening conflict prevention and resolution mechanisms on the continent.
The Angolan president was the driving force behind the 21st Extraordinary Session of the AU Assembly of Heads of State and Government, held in the Angolan capital. The meeting was described as being of ‘paramount importance’ for moving from political decisions to practical implementation, notably through the advancement of the Early Warning and Early Action Activation Mechanism, which the African Union has been developing for several years.
Source: Diário Económico
Original article: https://www.diarioeconomico.co.mz/2026/08/31/mundo/angola/africa-ua-defende-maior-responsabilizacao-na-aplicacao-de-decisoes-sobre-paz-e-seguranca/
