LUANDA, Angola — African leaders agreed to strengthen the African Union Peace Fund and seek new financing mechanisms at an extraordinary summit on conflict prevention held in Luanda on Sunday, while the head of the AU Commission called for closer monitoring of how continental decisions are implemented.
The commitments were announced at the final press briefing of the 21st Extraordinary Session of the AU Assembly on August 30. The meeting brought African heads of state, heads of government and senior delegations to the Angolan capital to examine weaknesses in the continent's conflict-prevention and resolution system.
Évariste Ndayishimiye, president of Burundi and the AU's rotating chairperson, said member states would assume greater financial responsibility for the continent's peace and security priorities. He said this would include strengthening the Peace Fund and mobilizing what he described as innovative financing mechanisms.
The briefing did not identify the proposed mechanisms, set a new funding target or provide a timetable for additional contributions.
Ndayishimiye said international partnerships would remain important, but should be based on mutual respect, sovereignty, territorial integrity and African ownership. Leaders also reaffirmed that peace processes should include meaningful participation by women and young people and provide stronger protection for children affected by conflict.
The summit took place as the AU confronts wars and political crises in several parts of the continent, alongside terrorism, unconstitutional changes of government, forced displacement, cyber threats and disinformation. The host government's account of the closing session said leaders wanted the Luanda commitments to produce concrete and measurable results rather than remain statements of principle.
Monitoring AU decisions
AU Commission Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf said the organization should consolidate a monitoring and evaluation matrix capable of providing a clear dashboard on the execution of summit decisions.
He said accountability should extend across the AU Commission, the Peace and Security Council, regional economic communities and other regional mechanisms involved in preventing and resolving conflicts.
The proposal addresses a problem Youssouf identified during the summit's opening session. In his address to African leaders, he described conflict prevention as the AU's “Achilles heel,” said implementation of decisions remained unfinished and called the Peace Fund almost inoperative.
Youssouf also said the African Peace and Security Architecture required a fundamental review and called for stronger coordination among the Commission, the Peace and Security Council, member states and regional organizations.
The AU already has a Continental Early Warning System, the Panel of the Wise, mediation structures, regional mechanisms and the Peace Fund. The Luanda meeting focused on why those institutions have frequently failed to translate early warnings and adopted decisions into timely action.
Details of implementation still awaited
The final briefing established financing, monitoring and institutional accountability as the summit's principal public outcomes. It did not explain how compliance would be enforced, which institution would maintain the proposed dashboard or when member states would begin reporting against it.
The official recording of the briefing lasted less than eight minutes and contained prepared statements without a substantive question-and-answer session. As of August 31, the summit's formal decision, action plan and monitoring matrix had not been posted on the AU event page.
The published documents will be needed to determine whether the commitments include assigned responsibilities, deadlines and measurable financial obligations. Their implementation will also show whether the summit changes the AU's response to active conflicts or primarily strengthens internal reporting procedures.
The meeting was hosted by Angolan President João Lourenço, the AU's designated champion for peace and reconciliation. Ndayishimiye said holding the session in Luanda reflected confidence in Angola's role in supporting dialogue and conflict resolution on the continent.
