Handover between the former Commissioner of Political Affairs and the incoming Commissioner of the newly created Department for Political Affairs and Peace and Security

Following the African Union Heads of State decision under the African Union Institutional Reforms to establish a newly joint Department of Political Affairs & Peace and Security, the outgoing Commissioner for Political Affairs, H.E. Cessouma Minata Samate proceeded today, to the official handing over ceremony of the programmes for the Department of Political Affairs to H.E. Amb. Bankole ADEOYE, Commissioner of the newly joint Department at the AUC Headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

H.E. Cessouma Minata Samate handed over important strategic documents governing the work of the department of political affairs, such as guidelines for electoral missions, and treaties among other documents.

Commissioner Cessouma Minata Samate congratulated the newly elected Commissioner, Amb. Bankole. She underscored the importance of elections, human rights issues as well as transitional justice and good delivery of services, among others. Commissioner Samate expressed her readiness to assist and help with the smooth transition of the department. “If all legal instruments are fully implemented, we will have peace and security in the continent and we will build the Africa We Want” said the Commissioner Samate.

H.E. Amb. Bankole ADEOYE thanked H.E. Cessouma Minata Samate for the strategic documents for the future and good governance for the continent. “Good governance, democracy, credible and fair elections will be our top priority based on policy instruments and decisions of our leaders,” said Amb. Bankole ADEOYE.

He reassured the outgoing Commissioner that he will do everything to ensure the smooth transition and that he is committed to promote the nexus between the African Peace and Security Architecture (APSA) and the African Governance Architecture (AGA) and this will be at the centre of his work.

The core functions of the Department of Political Affairs and Peace and Security will include:

1. Continuous monitoring of Africa’s political, peace and security trends;
2. Timely assessment, analysis and reporting on political, peace and security trends through early warning;
3. Support conflict prevention through the development and dissemination of legal and policy frameworks on governance, political, peace and security issues;
4. Capacity building and training on relevant political, peace and security issues involving participants from Member States and RECs/RMs;
5. Co-ordinate the development of Common African Positions on relevant political, peace and security issues and the provision of technical support;
6. Ensuring complementarity and synergy in the implementation of the African Governance Architecture (AGA) and the African Peace and Security Architecture (APSA);
7. Support conflict management efforts including peace- support operations and mediation and dialogue interventions;
8. Support post-conflict reconstruction and development policy and strategy development; and
9. Ensure sound management and administration of the AU Peace Fund.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Union (AU).