Aswan, Egypt, 22 October 2025: The African Union Commission (AUC), through its Department of Political Affairs, Peace and Security (PAPS), in collaboration with the Government of the Arab Republic of Egypt, convened the 16th High-Level Retreat on the Promotion of Peace, Security and Stability in Africa under the theme, “Reframing AU Mediation – Consolidating African Leadership and Ownership,” from 21 to 22 October 2025 in Aswan, Egypt.

The Retreat brought together members of the Panel of the Wise, Panel of Facilitators for the Eastern DRC Peace Process, AU Special Envoys and High Representatives, Representatives of Regional Economic Communities and Regional Mechanisms (RECs/RMs), UN, EU, other international partners, and think tanks.

The two-day meeting provided a strategic platform for reflection on how Africa can advance resilient and self-reliant approaches to peace and security. Participants called for renewed commitment to Africa’s foundational values, strengthened resource sovereignty, and inclusive, community-driven mediation. They emphasized the need to translate peace agreements into lasting stability through greater engagement of insider mediators and the African diaspora, the equitable and strategic management of the continent’s natural resources, and a coordinated single-African track that complements international efforts to address emerging peace and security challenges.

Discussions reaffirmed that Africa’s core values of Pan-Africanism, solidarity, constitutionalism, and integrity remain central to the AU’s credibility in mediation and preventive diplomacy. Participants stressed that sustainable peace requires Africa to take the lead in governing and financing its peace and security priorities, thereby reinforcing national ownership, reducing dependency, and advancing strategic autonomy.

The Retreat also underscored the importance of inclusivity in peace processes. Women, youth, traditional and religious leaders, and local communities were recognized as indispensable partners in building peace and reconciliation. Participants highlighted the need to connect community-based and national dialogue processes to continental mechanisms and to promote intergenerational dialogue as part of a whole-of-society approach.

The African diaspora was acknowledged as a vital partner in peacebuilding and development, with its political, financial and intellectual capital representing an untapped resource for Africa’s strategic autonomy. Participants agreed that stronger coordination through existing AU frameworks can enhance the diaspora’s contribution to conflict prevention, management and post-conflict reconstruction.

Deliberations further stressed that lasting peace must take into account the political economy of conflict, including governance of borderlands, trade corridors, and maritime spaces, to ensure that peacebuilding addresses the underlying structural drivers of instability. The meeting also highlighted the urgency of predictable and sustainable financing for African-led mediation and conflict prevention, to allow the AU and RECs/RMs to act quickly and coherently in the face of governance and security crises.

The African Union Commission expressed its profound appreciation to the Government of the Arab Republic of Egypt for its partnership and generous hospitality in hosting the Retreat. The Commission also extended its sincere gratitude to the Government of Finland, the CMI – Martti Ahtisaari Peace Foundation, and the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) for their continued l support to the African Union.

For more information:

Ms. Netsanet Tekeda Alemu, Coordinator, Panel of the Wise Secretariat, Mediation and Dialogue Divisioin, Political Affairs, Peace and Security Department, African Union Commission. Email: netsanett@AfricanUnion.org

For media inquiries:

Ms. Limi Mohammed Shash, Communications focal point, Governance and Conflict Prevention Directorate, Political Affairs, Peace and Security Department, African Union Commission. Email: shashlm@africanunion.org

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