The African Union Peace Fund is in the final stages of operationalization which is set to be utilized for the first time in 2023 on several programmes including interventions in the Sudan crisis, projects in the East African Community (EAC) and the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS).
According to the statement by the Union on Thursday, the plans are underway to approve US$ 5 million from Crisis Reserve Facility as direct support to the proposed intervention areas in the country.
While the Peace Fund is structured in three thematic support windows and a Crisis Reserve Facility. Thematic support is directed to Mediation and Preventive Diplomacy; Institutional Capacity; and the AU Peace Support Operations Window.
Crisis Reserve Facility is designed to address unforeseen and urgent operational peace and security requirements that require rapid and flexible responses. Sudan has met the eligibility criteria as emergency situation that is in a scale beyond the capacity of the country and its own agencies.
The funds will go into restoring a degree of stability and peace in the life of the affected populations. The Crisis Reserve Facility will bear the start-up costs of the new mission until they are absorbed into the regular budgeting process.
In an extraordinary meeting held on the 26 of May 2023, the AU Peace Fund Board of Trustees at the same time recommended an increase of the Crisis Reserve Facility to US$10 million in 2023/ 2024 from the current US$5 million.
The recommendation follows a decision by the AU Peace and Security Council on 12 May 2023, to increase the ceiling of the Crisis Reserve Facility to enable the AU to urgently and effectively address emergency peace and security challenges on the Continent.
The member of Board of Trustees include Mrs. Zainab Shamsuna Ahmed (Nigeria), Mr. Tito Mboweni (South Africa), Mr. Anicet Georges Dologuele (Central Africa Republic), Elene Makonnen (Ethiopia), and Ms. Birgitte Markussen (European Union (EU).
And Mr. Parfait Onanga-Anyanga (United Nations (UN). The role of the Board of Trustees is to ensure strategic coherence and enhanced governance, financial, administrative oversight of the Peace Fund.
The Board of Trustees was joined by the Executive Management Committee at the AU Commission led by Dr. Monique Nsanzabaganwa, Deputy Chairperson, Amb. Bankole Adeoye, Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security, and Dagmawit Moges Bekele, Director of the Peace Fund Secretariat.
The resources of the Peace Fund consist of contributions obtained from AU Member States assessed contributions, contributions of international and inter-governmental organizations, non-AU member countries, public or private organizations or entities, individuals, and through appropriate resource mobilization activities.
The funds also include finances accrues to the Peace Fund by way of interest, dividends, fees, sale of assets or from other sources. The operations of the Peace Fund shall be administered in accordance with the regulations, rules and procedures approved by the Board of Trustees.
