As the war in Sudan and rebel-government clashes continue in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the African Union (AU) has called for more action to ensure the involvement of women in conflict resolution efforts.
The AU held the 6th High-Level Africa Forum on Women, Peace and Security (WPS) in Tunis, Tunisia, on December 9, 2025. The forum was convened under the theme: “25 Years of UNSCR 1325: Leveraging Multilateral Diplomacy to Reinforce Africa’s Women, Peace and Security Agenda in a Shifting Global Order.”
Speaking during the event, the Chairperson of the African Union Commission (AUC), Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, paid tribute to the women of Sudan for standing firm amid conflict, the women of the Great Lakes region persevering in protracted crises, and the women of the Sahel who sustain communities despite insecurity and displacement.
“Their resilience reminds us that women are central pillars of peace and stability,” he stated.
He reaffirmed the Commission’s unwavering commitment to the progress of this agenda, pledging to work in close collaboration with member states, regional economic communities, civil society, and partners to ensure the delivery of meaningful and measurable impact for women and girls across the continent.
Additionally, he emphasised that the collective focus must shift to accountability, financing, and women’s leadership.
Other voices
On her part, the AUC Chairperson’s Special Envoy on Women, Peace and Security, Liberata Mulamula, reiterated that Africa’s strength is rooted in solidarity, multilateralism, and collective action.
She called for a renewed commitment to operationalising WPS obligations, cautioning against backsliding, and emphasising the necessity of ensuring that women’s voices—from grassroots communities to national leadership—shape policy and drive implementation.
On the other hand, Justice Emeritus Effie Owuor noted that patterns of conflict are changing, marked by new pressures and the increasing use of digital spaces to cause harm.
She emphasised that despite challenges such as shrinking resources and narrowing democratic space, African women continue to play vital roles as community leaders, mediators, and defenders of human dignity.
The forum came as African democracies experience different challenges, including military coups in some West African countries, disputed elections in Tanzania, and the war in Sudan, which has displaced millions of people and seen many killed.
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