The African Union released a report in February 2026, led by Kenyan President William Ruto, the "Champion of AU Institutional Reforms," which focused on peace and security reforms. However, experts have criticized the report for applying bureaucratic solutions to inherently political problems. The report proposed aligning the African Peace and Security Architecture (APSA) and African Governance Architecture (AGA), but was short on concrete, practical ideas.
The report suggested renewing member states' adherence to AU instruments and principles, reinvigorating African unity, and reaffirming collective ownership of the AU agenda. It also proposed joint assessments, integrated responses, and harmonized standards to manage African conflicts more effectively. However, experts argue that these solutions are too vague and do not address the deep-seated problems.
The report called for strengthening weak institutions such as the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) and the Pan-African Parliament (PAP). It also proposed setting up a five-person independent panel to "harmonize" an AGA-APSA implementation plan and another five-member panel of experts to draft an African Foreign Policy Framework.
The report proposed better coordination between the AU Commission, the Committee of Intelligence and Security Services of Africa (CISSA), and African Regional Economic Communities (RECs). It also suggested institutionalizing compliance and accountability mechanisms and drafting an AU Early Action guideline.
Experts argue that the report's focus on bureaucratic coordination is not a substitute for building effective sub-regional economic and security pillars. They suggest that region-building efforts could help provide the large financial outlays required for conflict management.
The report suggested increasing the AU Peace Fund from $400 million to $1 billion, but it remains unclear which countries would provide such massive resources. Only 24% of the AU's programme budget is currently funded by its member states, with the bulk of security funding provided by external donors.
A detailed response to the AU report was provided by the Addis Ababa-based think tank, Amani Africa, in August 2026. It praised the report for focusing on strengthening implementation but noted that the APSA/AGA gap occurred due to the overreliance of the AU Peace and Security Council on the AU Peace and Security Department.
Key points
- The African Union's report on reforms has been criticized for its bureaucratic solutions to political problems.
- Experts argue that the report's focus on coordination is not a substitute for building effective sub-regional economic and security pillars.
- The report's proposal to increase the AU Peace Fund from $400 million to $1 billion raises questions about funding.
