Luanda Summit Asks Why Africa’s Peace Machinery Keeps Failing

The 21st Extraordinary Session of the African Union Assembly is taking place in Luanda, Angola, from 29 to 30 August. The summit aims to strengthen the African Union's machinery for preventing and resolving conflicts on the continent. The initiative comes from President João Lourenço, who has been the AU Champion for Peace and Reconciliation in Africa since 2022.

Various documents were reviewed during a videoconference by the AU's Permanent Representatives Committee on 25 August. These include draft agendas, the draft Luanda Decision, an Action Plan, an Implementation Matrix, and a draft declaration for the 8th Mid-Year Coordination Meeting with regional economic blocs, scheduled for 4 October in Egypt.

The Luanda Decision is intended to strengthen the African Peace and Security Architecture and the African Governance Architecture. These frameworks, which include the Peace and Security Council, the Continental Early Warning System, and the Panel of the Wise, have been criticized for being reactive and under-funded. The Implementation Matrix, which outlines operational measures, objectives, timelines, and responsible entities, is seen as crucial for translating the summit's decisions into action.

Luanda is hosting the summit as the initiator, not as the sitting chair of the African Union, which is currently led by Burundi. The summit addresses various conflicts, including those in Sudan, the eastern Congo, the Sahel, and the Chad border, though no specific conflicts are named in the published documents.

Financing remains a significant challenge for the African Union. The AU Peace Fund has reached its initial $400 million endowment target, but predictable funding for peace support operations is still unresolved. The summit's organizers hope that Angola's hosting of the meeting will increase the continent's continental standing, following in the footsteps of Angola's role as a mediator in the eastern Congo.