Voting booths could be places of tension, even violence, and may determine whether stability or turmoil prevails.
Special focus AU RECs: Ad hoc structures have been set up to fight violent extremism in the Sahel, but they often overlap and compete for scarce funding and troop contributions.
Is the protocol establishing the PSC no longer adequate to respond to contemporary security challenges?
This month the PSC will prepare for the 31st AU summit, to be held from 25 June to 2 July in Mauritania.
In the last three months of its tenure the outgoing PSC welcomed the deployment of a SADC mission to Lesotho and endorsed ECOWAS’ efforts in Guinea Bissau.
A retrospective of the outgoing PSC shows that from April 2016 to March 2018, 36% of the meetings were about ongoing crisis and conflict situations.
The election of 10 new PSC members shows that consultation within regions prevailed over competition between member states.
Election observers need to up their game in 2018 if they are to remain relevant.
Ten new members of the Peace and Security Council will be elected at the 30th AU summit.
The AU's initiative to help affected countries looks promising, but needs global backing.
In July 2017 the PSC will look at the free movement of people and the readiness of the African Standby Force.
This month the focus of the PSC is on its reports to the 29th AU summit.
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