The United Nations and African Union have sought the help of former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo to revive the stalled peace agreement in Ethiopia. Obasanjo, who serves as the AU High Representative for the Horn of Africa, had helped broker the Pretoria peace agreement between Ethiopia's Federal Government and Tigrayan forces in November 2022. With tensions rising again, the UN and AU are relying on Obasanjo to re-engage the parties and prevent the hard-won agreement from unravelling.
The UN and AU reaffirmed their "steadfast support" for Obasanjo's renewed mediation efforts and urged the parties to return immediately to direct talks under the Permanent Cessation of Hostilities Agreement. They warned that miscalculations in northern Ethiopia could trigger further escalation and destabilise the wider Horn of Africa. This call for calm came during the 27th Consultative Meeting of the UN-AU Joint Task Force on Peace and Security in New York.
The meeting was attended by high-ranking officials from both organisations, including AU Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security, Amb. Bankole Adeoye, and UN Under-Secretaries-General Rosemary DiCarlo, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, and Atul Khare. The UN and AU agreed to strengthen coordination behind Obasanjo's mediation efforts and urged all sides to address outstanding disputes through good-faith dialogue rather than renewed hostilities.
Beyond Ethiopia, the task force reviewed conflicts and political transitions in Sudan, Somalia, South Sudan, and the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. On Sudan, the organisations emphasised that there could be no viable military solution and called for an immediate cessation of hostilities. They rejected the establishment of any parallel government and urged an inclusive Sudanese dialogue leading towards civilian-led governance.
The task force also condemned external interference and military support fuelling the conflict in Sudan. On Somalia, the UN and AU reaffirmed support for the African Union Support and Stabilisation Mission and stressed the need for sustained international backing. Somali stakeholders were urged to continue dialogue towards an inclusive agreement on elections.
In eastern DRC, the UN and AU welcomed African, regional, and international peace initiatives and called for an effective and permanent ceasefire. They also backed plans for an inclusive national dialogue capable of supporting lasting peace. On South Sudan, the meeting called for national consensus ahead of planned December elections and urged authorities to address outstanding gaps in preparations.
The task force also reviewed broader UN-AU cooperation on conflict prevention, mediation, early warning, human rights, and support for African-led peace operations. The next statutory meeting of the Joint Task Force will be hosted by the African Union Commission.
Key points
- The UN and AU are seeking Obasanjo's help to revive the stalled peace agreement in Ethiopia.
- The organisations emphasised the need for an immediate cessation of hostilities in Sudan.
- The task force reviewed conflicts and political transitions in several African countries.
