LUANDA — African Union Commission Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf has highlighted Somalia among several African countries facing persistent security and stability challenges, calling for stronger collective African action against terrorism, violent extremism, piracy and transnational crime.
Speaking at the 21st Extraordinary Session of the African Union Assembly in Luanda, Youssouf said Africa’s peace and security system must be strengthened to respond more effectively to both long-running conflicts and emerging threats.
He identified Somalia, Sudan, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, the Sahel, Libya, northern Mozambique and Madagascar among areas continuing to experience serious security pressures.
Youssouf stressed that terrorism and violent extremism remain major threats to peace and development across the continent. He urged African countries to improve intelligence-sharing, strengthen regional cooperation and provide greater resources for peace and security operations.
On Somalia, the AU continues to support the country’s efforts to strengthen national security institutions and gradually assume greater responsibility for its security. The African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM) remains part of international and regional efforts to support Somalia’s stabilization and the fight against Al-Shabaab.
The AU Chairperson also emphasized the importance of preventing conflicts before they escalate. He called for stronger early-warning and conflict-prevention mechanisms, arguing that the continent must become more proactive rather than relying primarily on responses after crises have already intensified.
Youssouf further called for sustainable financing of African-led peace operations and the full operationalization of the AU Peace Fund, which is intended to strengthen Africa’s capacity to respond to security crises.
His remarks come amid renewed attention to maritime security in the waters around Somalia following the reported hijacking of the MV LUTUF, a Cameroon-flagged vessel, off the Somali coast earlier this month. The vessel was later freed in a joint Somali-Turkish operation, raising fresh concerns about the potential return of piracy activity in the region.
Youssouf emphasized that Africa’s security challenges are interconnected and cannot be effectively addressed by individual countries acting alone. He called for greater African solidarity, shared resources, intelligence cooperation and collective responsibility in confronting threats to continental peace and stability.
