The security councils of the United Nations and African Union on Thursday began talks on funding for peacekeeping missions by the pan-African body on the continent. AU, the bloc of 55 African countries with a population of 1.4 billion people, has long struggled to finance peace operations, often relying on partners such as the EU. The topic has long been on the UN Security Council’s table, with a diplomat telling AFP that African countries are asking for the peace missions to be funded by mandatory contributions. A draft resolution has been under negotiations between the two organisations since 2018, but has been delayed particularly due to strife with the AU. UN chief’s representative to the AU, Parfait Onanga-Anyanga, expressed hope the discussions would lead to a new funding arrangement.

Source: The North Africa Journal October 06, 2023 12:53 UTC