AU, ECOWAS, Advance Collaboration to Silence the Guns by 2030. By Raymond Enoch
In a decisive move to bolster peace and security across the continent, the African Union Peace and Security Council (AU PSC) and the ECOWAS Mediation and Security Council (MSC) held their 2nd Joint Consultative Meeting at the AU Headquarters in Addis Ababa on 16 May 2025.
The high-level meeting brought together diplomats and security experts at the Ambassadorial level, serving as a strategic forum to deepen collaboration under the frameworks of the African Peace and Security Architecture (APSA), the African Governance Architecture (AGA), and the AU Master Roadmap to Silence the Guns by 2030.
Central to the deliberations was a renewed commitment to proactive diplomacy and coordinated peace operations. Both bodies emphasized the need to operationalize shared principles of subsidiarity, complementarity, and comparative advantage to confront rising security threats in West Africa and the broader continent.
The AU and ECOWAS reaffirmed their solidarity in deploying integrated strategies, including preventive diplomacy, mediation, and joint peace support initiatives. The meeting signals a critical juncture in Africa’s journey towards silencing the guns and achieving sustainable peace, with stakeholders vowing to translate policy into tangible action.
As the 2030 deadline looms, this joint effort underscores a growing continental resolve to move from conflict management to conflict prevention—ensuring that the vision of a peaceful, stable, and secure Africa is not just a dream, but a shared reality.
