Uganda and Tanzania have been elected to be members of the African Union’s Peace and Security Council.
The AU’s Peace and Security Council is a 15-member organ comprised of member states from each of the five regions of the bloc, and it is the African Union’s standing decision-making body for the prevention, management, and resolution of conflicts on the continent.
It is a collective security and early warning arrangement intended to facilitate timely and efficient responses to conflict and crisis situations in Africa. It is also the key pillar of the African Peace and Security Architecture (APSA), which is the framework for promoting peace, security and stability in Africa.
The PSC has 15 members with equal voting powers. All members are elected by the AU Executive Council and endorsed by the AU Assembly during its ordinary sessions. For continuity, five members are elected for three-year terms and 10 for two-year terms. While there are no permanent members, the PSC Protocol does not prevent any Member States from seeking immediate re-election.
The Council voted at the bloc’s 40th Ordinary Session of its Executive Council that was held in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa.
“Uganda obtained 34 votes in the third round of voting, in a race that also attracted the United Republic of Tanzania and the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia. Uganda has been elected for a two-year term from 2022 to 2024 and will be joined by Tanzania and Djibouti as the representatives of the Eastern Region,” Uganda’s Foreign Affairs ministry said in a statement.
Other members elected are Morocco and Tunisia (Northern Region); Cameroon, Burundi, and Congo (Central Region); Nigeria, Ghana, the Gambia and Senegal (Western Region); and Namibia, South Africa, and Zimbabwe (Southern Region).
