Over the years, the Training for Peace (TfP) Programme, has supported the African Union Commission (AUC) to prevent, manage, and resolve crises and promote stability across Africa.  Through its three implementing partners - the African Centre for the Constructive Resolution of Disputes (ACCORD), the Institute for Security Studies (ISS), and the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs (NUPI), the TfP provides varied strategic support to the AUC to enhance its preventive and response capabilities, to address the evolving dynamics of the peace and security environment in Africa.

One of the key areas the TfP has played a pivotal role is the publication and dissemination of insights and lessons learnt from AU peacekeeping and peace support operations. The important influential role of the TfP is aligned with the bi-annual AU’s Lessons Learned forum which was initiated two years ago to assess the effectiveness of AU PSOs and the African Standby Force. One critical objective of the forum is to identify key lessons and propose actionable strategies to enhance Africa’s security approach and future endeavours to strengthen AU PSOs and the ASF.

TfP’s contribution to Strengthening AU PSOs

Together with its Partners, TfP has produced key reports on lessons from AU peace and security interventions. The most recent is a report titled #TheGambiaHasDecided: A model for intervention, or a missed opportunity? examines the role of the AU and the Economic Community of West African States in The Gambia Crises. The report evaluates the AU- and ECOWAS-led interventions in The Gambia, their coordinated efforts to address the constitutional crisis that followed the disputed outcome of the December 2016 polls. Furthermore, the report highlights key lessons on ways the AU and RECs could partner more effectively on Africa-led interventions to address crises in Africa.

The joint EPON and TfP study on the Effectiveness of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Mission in Mozambique (SAMIM) examines how the multi-faceted challenges confronting the mission led to the limited implementation of its mandate.  The study cites the discrepancies between the mandate and the tools given to the mission by SADC Member States and the lack of the host-nation capacity and political will as key contributor to the mission closure in mid-2024. The study recommends that host nation cooperation and support must be secured, and a close coordination between the host and other international actors is foundational to the success of a mission. The study pinpoints how the agility of a mission, and its capacity to respond and adapt to the actual context and environment is critical to its success.

In another TfP Report titled A Forgotten People in an Unstable Region - The Effectiveness of the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei, the report assesses the effectiveness of the mission in meeting its mandate amidst the emerging challenges. It provides a detailed update on the situation in Abyei from 2021 to 2023 and also examines the role of the AU in Abyei as part of its partnership with the UN. Drawing on extensive insights and lessons gathered from series of engagements with key stakeholders in the ‘Abyei box’, the report recommends a people-centred, community-led peacekeeping and protection approach that is adaptive to the environment and emerging challenges, to cite an example.

Another TfP report, Women, Peace and Security in MONUSCO: Trends, Lessons and Emerging Practices, examines how the UN Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUSCO) has implemented the Women, Peace and Security Agenda (WPS) dimensions of its mandate in the period 2010 to 2021. Anchored on an analysis of the mandate resolution texts, documents and interviews with MONUSCO personnel to identify trends over time and key themes during the given period. The report aims to improve women’s security and equality in the Democratic Republic of Congo as part of the WPS provisions in MONUSCO’s mandate. Most importantly, it shares key lessons and recommendations to strengthen the implementation of the WPS aspects specifically for the mission’s mandate in the DRC, and other peace and security actors.

The TfP has continued to play a significant role in shaping the responsiveness and effectiveness of African-led PSO interventions in Africa, demonstrating its continuous support to AU-initiated convening platforms such as the Lessons Learned Forum on AU PSOs and the ASF.

Highlights from the Second Lessons Learned Forum on AU PSOs and the ASF

The second convening of the Lessons Learned Forum on AU PSOs and the ASF held in Abuja, Nigeria from 8-9 November 2025, brought together senior representatives from the Government of Nigeria, the African Union Commission, the Peace and Security Council (PSC), Regional Economic Communities and Regional Mechanisms (RECs/RMs), AU Member States, and international partners. The Forum served as a platform to reflect on experiences from AU-mandated and regional peace operations, assess implementation of previous recommendations, and identify forward-looking priorities to strengthen the AU’s collective security approach under the APSA framework. Discussions covered key issues such as; the evolving threats and the suitability of PSO mandates and their implications for mission planning, force generation and interoperability among AU, RECs and RMs; key findings in the Strategic Review of the ASF and lessons, challenges, gaps and opportunities in operationalising the ASF including documenting lessons from AU, REC/RM and ad-hoc missions to inform the ASF Strategic Review, to mention a few.

The Forum identified some key outcomes and strategic priorities for strengthening AU PSOs and the ASF, a few of which are shared below;

1. Reaffirmation of Political Commitment to African Ownership and leadership: The Forum reaffirmed Africa’s determination to continue enhancing its full political, financial, and operational responsibility for its peace operations, reducing dependency on external partners and strengthening self-reliant mechanisms under the APSA and ASF frameworks.
2. Acceleration of ASF Operationalisation: Participants agreed that, beyond exclusive reliance on regional standby forces by the (RECs/RMs), the ASF should be realigned to ensure its enhancement and further utilisation at the continental level. The ASF Strategic Review should now ensure that the AU is repositioned to coordinate implementation and utilisation of the ASF, establishing enforcement-capable and regionally deployable formations to enable effective AU-Led PSOs. The outcomes of the Review should feed into a revised Concept Paper to be tabled to PSC and the Specialized Technical Committee on Defence, Safety and Security (STCDSS) in early 2026
3. Primacy of Politics in Mission Design, mandates and Execution: Political objectives, reconciliation frameworks, and governance benchmarks must drive mission mandates, planning and transition strategies and exit logic. Military actions must directly support political end-states.
4. Predictable and Sustainable Financing as a Strategic Priority and Necessity: Financing shortfalls were identified as the critical vulnerability of AU PSOs. Political commitment and agreement by the UN Security Council for the urgent operationalisation and utilisation of UN Security Council Resolution 2719 (2023) and full activation of the AU Peace Fund to support AU-Led PSOs, including the 0.2% Kigali Levy and Crisis Reserve Facility, were emphasised. Consensus emerged for Integrated Financing Architecture and Burden-Sharing models, blending Peace Fund windows, and UNSCR 2719 framework for the use of AU-assessed contributions, within a transparent and accountable financing system and mechanism.
5. Institutionalise frameworks for compliance and accountability: Pre-deployment certification, Boards of Inquiry, and SEA prevention were confirmed as essential operational enablers. Participants emphasised that compliance boosts mission credibility and improves access to UN support.
6. Match Mandates with Required Resources, Means, and realism in planning: Missions should be fewer in number but carefully crafted, with mandates precisely aligned to available resources, enablers, and credible financing options. Complete costing must be completed before PSC approves PSOs.
7. A need to go beyond the use of the Regional Standby Forces by the (RECs/RMs) and that the ASF should be realigned to ensure its enhancement and further utilisation at the continental level. The ASF Strategic Review should now ensure that the AU is repositioned to coordinate implementation and utilisation of the ASF, establishing enforcement-capable and regionally deployable formations to enable effective AU-led PSOs.
8. More of an effort needs to be placed on financing shortfalls identified as the critical vulnerability of AU PSOs. Political commitment and agreement by the UN Security Council for the urgent operationalisation and utilisation of UNSCR 2719 (2023) and full activation of the AU Peace Fund to support AU-Led PSOs, including the 0.2% Kigali Levy and Crisis Reserve Facility, were emphasised.
9. There was also a need to have continuous Institutionalisation and socialisation of Compliance and Accountability Frameworks and Mechanisms: Compliance was reaffirmed as a strategic and operational enabler. AU-led pre-deployment certification, the conduct of Boards of Inquiry, and the prevention of SEA must remain integral to all PSOs conducted by the AU, REC/RM, and Coalitions of AU Member States.
10. The AU should also have a robust Stabilisation Strategy, which should guide AU and RECs/RMs efforts for durable peace, which demands the integration of Post-Conflict Reconstruction and Development (PCRD), governance, and service-delivery components as formal lines of efforts in all missions.
11. Finally, the need for enhanced AU - REC cooperation, doctrine alignment, and joint actions to prevent fragmentation while enabling regional ownership of operations.