Nairobi — The African continent finds itself at a pivotal juncture in 2026. While hosting some of the world’s fastest-growing economies and a vibrant, youthful population, Africa’s progress has been overshadowed by a myriad of security challenges.
Taking a panoramic view from the insurgencies in the Sahel, to the catastrophic conflict in Sudan and the persistent instability in the Great Lakes region, the threats are increasingly transnational, asymmetrical and complex. The humanitarian consequences arising from the conflicts are grave.
Building peace requires international African-led collaboration.
This is happening at a time when traditional notions of state-centric security have increasingly proved insufficient to tackle the security challenges the continent faces. Multilateral cooperation between African states, regional bodies, and international partners therefore becomes a strategic necessity if the continent is to effectively tackle these challenges.
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Leading this charge into a multilateral security approach on the continent is the African Union (AU) under its African Peace and Security Architecture (APSA). Under APSA, the AU has continually advocated for “African solutions to African problems,” a principle that has over the years gained traction. The AU has strived to distinguish itself from its predecessor, the Organization of African Unity (OAU), by adopting a more pragmatic approach to problem solving on the continent, underpinned by a principle of non-indifference. In other words, the AU has taken a more proactive approach to security challenges compared to the OAU. This shift has allowed the AU to intervene in member states facing grave circumstances, such as war crimes or genocide, reflecting a modern understanding of sovereignty as a responsibility rather than a shield.
The AU has further encouraged Regional Economic Communities (RECs) and Regional Mechanisms (RMs), to take charge and play a more proactive role in their respective regions to achieve peace. This has been underpinned by the principle of subsidiarity within APSA which prioritizes RECs and RMs leading conflict resolution in their regions, by virtue of their proximity to the specific conflicts. The underlying argument is that the RECs and RMs possess the deepest understanding of the particular conflicts’ root causes, the dynamics therein, and the greatest stake in their resolution.
In this regard, peacekeeping has remained a key corner stone of how multilateral efforts have continued to shore up peace on the African continent, reinforcing the idea that peace keeping should go beyond the goal of simply maintaining a ceasefire. A good example is the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM), which demonstrates the shift toward peace keeping missions that integrate military action with political reconciliation and humanitarian support. These missions continue to progress well, in part because they have satisfied the question of legitimacy and mandate which have been crucial for gaining the trust of the affected populations. However, there is need for adequate and predictable funding for the Missions to operate at optimal levels. The passing of UNSC Resolution 2719 (2023) providing for funding of AU Peace Support Operations through UN-assessed contributions was a positive move towards this, and its operationalization will go a long way towards addressing this gap.
Sustainable peace integrates military action, reconciliation and humanitarian support.
Multilateralism has also been crucial in helping actualize various security initiatives by creating a platform where the pooling of financial and military resources becomes possible. A good example of the possibilities that exist include the proposal by Kenyan President William Ruto, the AU champion for institutional reform, to expand the African Union (AU) Peace Fund from roughly $ 400 million to $1 billion to strengthen the continent’s autonomous capacity for conflict resolution and peace operations. This effort is aimed at creating sustainable funding for mediation, preventive diplomacy, and crisis management. This would in turn help reduce reliance on external partners, with proposals to leverage African financial institutions to assist on the same.
Mediation, which remains as one of the most effective tools for long-term stability, has been another area where African led multilateralism has strived to achieve success in conflict resolution. Through multilateralism, major complex crises continue to be addressed; for instance, the “Quintet” mechanism, comprising the AU, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), the League of Arab States, the European Union (EU), and the United Nations (UN), working to resolve the crisis in Sudan. This multilateral platform has helped coordinate diverse international actors, drawing from their various synergies and experiences. This unified front is seeking to exert sustained pressure on the belligerents to ensure that the resulting peace agreement is broadly recognized.
Effective African-led counter-terrorism (CT) efforts, supported by international partnerships, continue to be critical for regional stability, economic development, and protecting human rights. These efforts involve a blend of AU peace operations and regional task forces that have shifted from purely military action to preventing violent extremism. The AU has led regional efforts, through the 1999 Convention on the Prevention and Combating of Terrorism and the 2002 Action Plan.
Other African-led solutions to create sustainable security include improved regional intelligence sharing and addressing root causes like poverty. Other efforts at combating terrorism on the continent include the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) which fights Boko Haram and Islamic State-West Africa Province (ISWAP) in the Lake Chad Basin. The G5 Sahel Joint Force also tackled groups across Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger. In all this, international partners like the UN, EU, and NATO are critical in providing technical capacity-building, funding, and training, ensuring solutions are tailored to local contexts while upholding international legal frameworks.
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Multilateral cooperation has not only been confined to the RECs and RMs within the African continent. It has continued to extend to international financial partners. The latter have played a crucial role that has contributed to the security of the African continent. The recent move by the AU Political Affairs, Peace and Security to recognize and award the EU as its most valued partner, showcases what modern multilateral cooperation can achieve. The EU has remained the primary financial backer of African Peace Support Operations, providing invaluable resources necessary to sustain long-term missions. Other international partners have also stepped in, providing technical expertise in areas like climate adaptation, which is crucial, as water stress and resource scarcity fuel communal violence in regions like the Horn of Africa. Furthermore, cooperation with the UN has remained essential for securing contributions that continue to support AU-led missions.
In conclusion, multilateral cooperation is not a luxury; it is the only viable path to a secure Africa. By combining local legitimacy and political will of African-led initiatives and the financial and technical support of international partners, the continent can move towards achieving its peace and security imperatives.
Arthur Ahuya Olanda is the Director of the Peace and Security Division at the Kenyan Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs. The division promotes regional stability and conflict prevention and urges development of a common African position through the African Union on the intersection of climate, peace and security issues.