Africa is grappling with rising instability and violent crises that threaten peace and development across the continent, the UN Special Representative to the African Union (AU), Parfait Onanga-Anyanga, has warned.
Onanga-Anyanga made the remarks during a UN Security Council meeting focused on Africa’s key security challenges and the growing cooperation between the UN and the AU.
The envoy stressed that sustainable peace in Africa cannot be achieved through military force alone.
According to him, ensuring stability and security across the continent requires a proactive and preventive approach.
He cautioned that several regions remain deeply affected by complex and recurring conflicts, often intensified by weak governance, violent extremism, and inequitable management of natural resources.
Other major drivers of unrest, he said, include organised crime, the effects of climate change, food insecurity, and denial of fundamental human rights.
Conflicts in the Horn of Africa, Sudan, South Sudan, and the Great Lakes region — including the Democratic Republic of the Congo — have led to large-scale displacement and humanitarian crises.
“No military solution whatsoever can resolve the underlying causes of conflict in the DRC or elsewhere in Africa,” Onanga-Anyanga reiterated, urging the Council to continue using its influence to foster peaceful resolutions.
He also highlighted two key areas of concern: the role of climate change as a conflict multiplier and the impact of war on women and girls.
Speaking for the AU, Ambassador Mohamed Edrees echoed that Africa is experiencing an unprecedented wave of security threats and called for effective solutions to restore stability.
The UN and AU have maintained close collaboration on peace, security, and development issues across the continent, with notable progress in supporting free and credible elections in recent years.
Onanga-Anyanga emphasised that building consensus remains essential for addressing shared challenges.
He added that the strong partnership between the United Nations, the African Union, and other regional organisations forms the backbone of effective global cooperation in addressing complex threats to peace, human rights, and development.
In December 2023, the UN Security Council adopted Resolution 2719 to deepen coordination between the UN and the AU.
UN Assistant Secretary-General for Africa, Martha Pobee, described the resolution as a strategic step toward closing existing gaps in the AU’s peace and security architecture, ensuring international support for African-led responses to conflict.
She noted that the initiative aims to align both organizations’ efforts under a clear strategic vision and practical framework for long-term peace.