The 48th Ordinary Session of the African Union Executive Council has elected 10 member states to serve on the AU Peace and Security Council (PSC) for the 2026–2028 term, strengthening the continent’s primary organ for conflict prevention and crisis response.

The newly elected members are Benin, Gabon, Lesotho, Morocco, Somalia and South Africa, while Côte d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Sierra Leone and Uganda have been re-elected. The new mandate will run from April 1, 2026 to March 31, 2028.

Established in 2004, the PSC is the AU’s standing decision-making body for the prevention, management and resolution of conflicts. The 15-member Council authorizes peace support operations, imposes sanctions, addresses unconstitutional changes of government and coordinates counter-terrorism efforts across the continent.

The Council operates within the African Peace and Security Architecture, which includes the Continental Early Warning System, the African Standby Force and the Panel of the Wise. Its role has become increasingly significant amid ongoing security challenges in the Sahel, the Horn of Africa and parts of Central and Eastern Africa.

The elected members are expected to be formally endorsed by Heads of State and Government during the 39th Ordinary Session of the AU Assembly scheduled for 14–15 February 2026 in Addis Ababa, as the Union advances efforts to strengthen African-led peace initiatives and implement its “Silencing the Guns” agenda.

The 48th Ordinary Session of the Executive Council of the African Union (AU) has concluded at the AU headquarters in Addis Ababa this afternoon.

Held for the past two days under the theme  “Assuring Sustainable Water Availability and Safe Sanitation Systems to Achieve the Goals of Agenda 2063”, the meeting brought together foreign ministers from AU member states, senior diplomats, and leaders of AU institutions.