UN and African Union face calls to turn peacekeeping commitments into practical support

The United Nations Security Council heard calls in New York on 6 October 2026 for its partnership with the African Union to do more to prevent conflicts and support African-led peace operations. The annual meeting came ahead of further talks between the organisations later this month, while a funding framework adopted in 2023 has yet to finance an operation, according to African Security Analysis.

UN representative Parfait Onanga-Anyanga urged a shift from reacting to crises toward prevention, mediation and political solutions owned by the countries concerned, according to the UN’s meeting coverage. He called for predictable support for African-led operations and closer coordination between the organisations’ councils and those working on the ground. The appeals described priorities for cooperation; the meeting record does not establish a new operation or a change in conditions for people affected by conflict.

Why the UN and African Union are pressing for closer cooperation

The UN’s account described the Horn of Africa as fragile, cited continuing fighting and regional tensions in the Great Lakes region, and pointed to connected political, security and humanitarian pressures in the Sahel. A representative of the African members of the Security Council said the partnership should be measured by its effect on people caught in conflict. The representative highlighted Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Horn of Africa and Somalia.

On Sudan, the African representative said the AU leads the Quintet alongside the UN, the Arab League, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development and the European Union. The representative called for parallel diplomatic initiatives to align with an inclusive process led by Sudanese people. The UK said closer coordination between UN and AU fact-finding missions there was intended to strengthen accountability and avoid duplicated work. Those statements describe cooperation and its aims, rather than an independently established result.

What the UK says it has contributed

In a statement delivered to the Council, UK deputy permanent representative Kate Foster said the country’s £25 million African Union Partnership Programme supports AU mediation and a UNDP–African Union Commission facility intended to help states navigate political transitions. These are existing commitments cited by the UK, rather than funding announced as a result of the 6 October meeting.

Foster said the UK had provided £16.5 million in direct support to the AU Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia, known as AUSSOM, during the past year. She said a further £8.5 million went to a UN trust fund for logistical support to Somali security forces. She called for coordination among Somalia, the AU, countries contributing troops and the UN as Somalia continues its security transition. The statement did not report a completed transition or assess the effect of that support on security conditions.

How Resolution 2719 could fund African-led operations

Security Council Resolution 2719, adopted in 2023, created a route for the Council to consider UN assessed contributions for AU-led peace operations. Approval is decided case by case; funding is not automatic. African Security Analysis says the mechanism can cover up to 75 per cent of an eligible operation’s annual budget, subject to Council authorisation, oversight and compliance requirements. The balance of the funding would still have to be found.

Nearly three years after the resolution’s adoption, no operation had received financing through that framework, African Security Analysis reported. It identified AUSSOM as an immediate test of whether the mechanism can be put to use. At the Council meeting, the US representative said operations under the framework should be small, timebound and have clear objectives. Liberia’s representative called for predictable financing together with clear mandates, oversight, accountability and respect for international law.

What the October consultations and December review may decide

The UN’s meeting coverage said the two councils’ twentieth annual joint consultations were due later in October. African Security Analysis identified an informal seminar on 22 October and a joint consultative meeting in New York on 23 October. It assessed those discussions as preparation for a review of Resolution 2719 in December, and argued that their practical value would depend on identifying responsibilities, financing options and steps to implement them. That is the organisation’s assessment, not an agreed UN or AU decision.

For now, the record is one of stated priorities, existing UK support and pending decisions. The 6 October meeting does not establish that the financing framework will be used for AUSSOM or another operation. Nor do the statements show that coordination has improved safety or humanitarian conditions in the conflicts cited. The late-October consultations and December review offer opportunities to clarify the organisations’ plans; their outcomes remain open.