Paris, Nairobi, 28 February 2025. The 38th African Union Assembly of Heads of States and Government convened on 15 and 16 February 2025 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia elected H.E. Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, the former foreign minister for Djibouti, as the new African Union Chairperson taking over from Moussa Faki who served two four-year terms. He will be deputized by H.E. Selma Malika Haddadi, from Algeria, also elected during the Summit. This election was preceded by the election of four commissioners elected to lead the departments of Political Affairs, Peace and Security (PAPS) department; Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy and Sustainable Environment (ARBE); Infrastructure and Energy (I&E) and Health, Humanitarian Affairs and Social Development (HHS).
Other than the elections of the Commission, top on the agenda of the Summit was the crises in Eastern DRC and Sudan. The Peace and Security Council (PSC), convened at the Head of State level deliberated on these two urgent situations and issued two communiqués setting out their decisions.
The PSC meeting came against the backdrop of an open letter setting out urgent appeals made by 30 civil society organisations comprising of the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), its member and partner organisations urging the PSC to act decisively on the escalating situation in Eastern DRC. FIDH acknowledges the positive action by the PSC to reinforce the need for a co-ordinated response with the SADC-EAC mediation, though no mention was made on the progress made to actualise the deployment of the fact-finding mission directed by the PSC to the AUC at the end of January 2025.
Sudan, also prioritised in the agenda due to the continued escalation of the conflict in Sudan with devastating effects in Al Jazira State where hate based retaliatory attacks against civilians peaked in January 2025. On 11 and 12 February as the Assembly of Heads of State and Government was preparing to convene, Zamzam Sudan’s largest displacement camp in North Darfur was attacked by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) resulting in deaths, injuries and further displacements of civilians.
FIDH has further been concerned by the recent developments where the RSF has purported to establish a parallel government, further putting AU’s efforts to bring the warring parties to dialogue in an effort to bring an end to the conflict. Kenya’s role in supporting the RSF has come under scrutiny as it run’s counter to the AU’s call for external parties to cease actions that destabilise Sudan further.
Regarding the situation in the Sahel, FIDH regrets that it was not set on the agenda of the meeting of the PSC and Heads of States, and urges the new administration to relaunch strong action by the African Union to help resolve the conflicts, ensure respect for human rights and protect civic space and human rights defenders. In a report published on 20 February, the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders (a partnership of the International Federation for Human Rights-FIDH and the World Organisation Against Torture-OMCT), denounced how, in recent years, the regimes in Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali and Niger have used similar repressive techniques to silence any dissenting voices. Widespread use of arbitrary arrest and detention, constant judicial harassment, abductions, kidnappings, enforced disappearances and acts of torture are increasingly common in the region. In the Sahel, the African Union must act to support human rights defenders and restore respect for fundamental freedoms while encouraging a return to constitutional order.
Recommendations to the new leadership at the African Union Commission
FIDH urges H.E. Mahmoud Ali Youssouf and his team to:
1. Place situation in Eastern DRC among his top priorities for addressing the crisis and in particular
– to progress the decisions in Communique of the 1256th Emergency Meeting on the developments in the Eastern DRC, particularly on the speedy deployment of the reccomended fact-finding mission and report back to the Council Council;
– to actualise the 1261st PSC Heads of States Meeting on the situation in Eastern DRC recommendation on the coordination of the AU-SADC-EAC mediation;
2. Prioritise advancing and supporting the realisation of the decisions by the 1261st PSC Heads of State and Government meeting in relation to the Situation in Sudan; to work with the PSC Ad Hoc Presidential Committee under the leadership of H.E. Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, President of the Republic of Uganda, in facilitating an eventual solution to the conflict and the continued engagement of civilian actors towards an inclusive inter-Sudanese process;
3. Prioritise monitoring and response to the Political and Security situation in the Sahel region, principally
– urge the governments of Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali and Niger to put an end to all infringements and restrictions of fundamental freedoms and to guarantee respect for human rights;
– encourage the authorities of the four countries to recognise the vital role of human rights defenders and use all means at their disposal to enable them to carry out their legitimate activities without hindrance or fear of reprisals;
– urge the authorities of Burkina Faso to repeal the decree on conscriptions or cease its discriminatory application targeting human rights defenders;
– encourage Chad to adopt a law on the protection of human rights defenders and other countries to respect such laws to guarantee their fundamental rights and freedoms;
– decide to hold missions to promote human rights in Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger and Chad.