On 13 May, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General (SRSG) and Head of UNOAU, Parfait Onanga-Anyanga paid a courtesy call on the African Union Commission Chairperson, Moussa Faki Mahamat in the AU Headquarters in Addis Ababa. Welcoming SRSG Onanga-Anyanga in his new role, the Chairperson stated that Africa’s emerging challenges, including the impact of climate change, the growing threats of terrorism across the Sahel and the new wave of unconstitutional changes of government in West Africa, call for intensified AU-UN collaboration within the context of the Partnership Framework on Peace and Security, as well as the Development Framework agreements. He offered assurances with regards to the AU’s commitment to advance the partnership, noting that the AU alone could not resolve the threatening crises in the continent. In this regard, he highlighted that the AU Extra-Ordinary Summit in Malabo to be held on 27 and 28 May would focus on addressing the menace of terrorism and unconstitutional changes of Government, as well as the decision to operationalize the AU Humanitarian Agency. The Chairperson further expressed the AU’s concern over the global impact of the Russia-Ukraine crisis, including the increases in energy and food prices as well as other commodities. He called for immediate collective action, including intensified dialogue to end the crisis.

In his response, SRSG Onanga-Anyanga acknowledged that the joint partnership Agreement has resulted in a stronger, systematic and institutionalized relationship between the two organizations, and with the various Regional Economic Communities/Regional Mechanisms (RECs/RMs). He expressed the UN’s commitment to a strengthened partnership with the AU to end ongoing conflicts in Africa and promote sustainable peace, while respecting the essence of subsidiarity, complementarity and sovereignty. He assured that UNOAU was prepared and open to facilitate the joint partnership agreement, and to convey to the UN headquarters in a timely manner the AU’s perspective aimed at giving impetus to our collaboration for the building of an Africa that is peaceful, stable and developed.