The upcoming 39th AU Summit in Addis Ababa will see an election for 10 seats on the AU Peace and Security Council (PSC). Regional blocs and non-sanctioned member states are already vying for the seats.
The PSC is the AU body charged with handling conflicts and conflict resolution. Its current members are nearing the end of their two-year term after being elected in February 2024 during the 37th ordinary session of the AU Assembly.
March 30, 2026 will mark the end of the mandate of 10 members.
Since the election for the three-year term was held during the 38th AU Assembly in February 2025, the 2026 election of the PSC will be limited to these ten two-year term seats on the Council.
Unlike the five three-year term seats, which are allocated equally to the five regions of the AU, the regional allocation of the 10 two-year term seats is based on the number of states in the different regions at the time of the adoption of the PSC Protocol, which grants three seats for West Africa, two seats for Central, East and Southern Africa regions, and one seat for North Africa.
Notwithstanding the principle of rotation, it is not a requirement that the candidates for the election of the ten seats be totally different from those currently serving in the PSC. Member states are allowed to serve consecutive terms, and four of the countries currently holding a seat, namely the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Uganda, Côte d’Ivoire and Sierra Leone, are seeking re-election.
North Africa and Southern Africa have no candidates.
While original authority for the election of the members of the PSC is vested with the AU Assembly, it delegated the power to elect members to the Executive Council during its sixth ordinary session.
Accordingly, one of the agenda items tabled for the 48th Ordinary Session of the Executive Council, to be held from 11 to 12 February 2026, will thus be the election of the 10 new or returning members who will serve in the PSC for the two-year term.
The elections will then be endorsed by the 39th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the Union to be held from 14 to 15 February 2026.
