Assessing AU mediation envoys: the case of South Sudan

For mediation initiatives to be successful, better coordination is needed between the AU and regional economic communities.

In September 2016, the African Union Commission (AUC) organised a meeting in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia to discuss how its recently established Mediation Support Unit (MSU) could be made operational. The MSU was created to support the work of AU mediators and improve the AU’s ability to respond to changing demands of conflict mediation. This report highlights the factors that limited the AU’s role in the South Sudanese mediation from December 2013 to August 2015. It contributes to ongoing debates on the importance of institutionalising and evaluating AU mediation activities, reducing inefficiencies and increasing the AU’s impact on the ground.

About the author

Dimpho Motsamai is a Senior Researcher in the ISS Peace and Security Research Programme, focusing on Southern Africa. She is currently pursuing a doctoral degree at the University of Witwatersrand School of Governance, based in Johannesburg, South Africa.