PSC June 2025 Agenda: Navigating Crisis and Advancing Regional Security

The Peace and Security Council (PSC) is set to convene its third substantive session on June 12, 2025, to address the escalating situation in South Sudan—a topic that has dominated recent PSC deliberations. This marks the third time the Council has focused on South Sudan since violence erupted following the March 4 attack on the South Sudan People’s Defence Force base in Nasir. The political and security landscape has further deteriorated with the arrest and continued detention of First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar Teny on March 26, 2025, in Juba. This upcoming session is expected to build on key decisions and challenges outlined in previous meetings, notably the Press Statement from the 1270th session on March 31 and the communiqué from the 1265th session on March 18, 2025.

During the 1270th session, the PSC urged the Chairperson of the African Union (AU) Commission to deploy a high-level delegation—led by the Panel of the Wise—to South Sudan to ease tensions and foster dialogue. The Council also called on the Committee of Five (C5) to deepen its engagement with all relevant stakeholders to support AU and IGAD initiatives aimed at achieving sustainable peace and stability. In response, AU Commission Chairperson Mahmoud Youssouf Ali promptly sent a delegation from the Panel of the Wise to Juba. This effort was further bolstered by an official visit from May 5 to 6, 2025, during which high-level talks were held with President Salva Kiir Mayardit and senior officials. Discussions focused on protecting the gains of the Revitalised Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan, advancing inclusive national dialogue, ensuring timely execution of the transitional roadmap, and reinforcing governance institutions. The upcoming PSC session will revisit these critical priorities and consider the latest report from the Panel of the Wise.

On June 17, the PSC will hold its fourth session to review progress on the Common African Defence and Security Policy (CADSP) and related African Union instruments. Mandated by the 1159th PSC communiqué, which required regular updates on CADSP implementation, this session aims to assess achievements and address ongoing gaps in conflict prevention, peacebuilding, regional defence integration, and management of foreign military activities. Although the CADSP has been in effect for over two decades, focused attention only emerged during the PSC meeting in June 2023, which also addressed the operationalization of the African Standby Force (ASF). This session represents a pivotal moment to reassess and recommit to reinforcing Africa's collective defence and security architecture.

Following this, on June 19, the PSC will engage in consultations with the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR) as stipulated by Article 19 of the PSC Protocol. This dialogue is part of the long-established annual consultative process—last formalized in August 2021—that integrates human rights considerations into conflict prevention, management, stabilization, resolution, and post-conflict reconstruction. The upcoming consultation is anticipated to provide updates on investigations into human rights abuses, including those in El Fasher and broader regions such as Darfur, and to address issues of impunity, gender-based violence, and rights violations in key conflict zones like the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), South Sudan, Sudan, and the Sahel. The PSC may also review ACHPR reports on abuses linked to terrorism and unconstitutional changes of government, urging member states to adopt key human rights instruments such as ACHPR Resolution 448 (2020) and enhance early warning systems through stronger monitoring and reporting mechanisms.

The final session for June, scheduled for June 25, will focus on the situation in eastern DRC. The conflict in this region has intensified since early 2025, marked by renewed clashes involving the Mouvement du 23 Mars (M23) rebel group, the seizure of Goma, and escalating diplomatic tensions between the DRC and Rwanda. In response, the PSC, together with the East African Community (EAC) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC), coordinated diplomatic efforts culminating in the Joint EAC-SADC Summit in Dar es Salaam on February 8, 2025. That meeting resulted in a communiqué calling for an immediate ceasefire, the withdrawal of foreign forces, a merger of the Luanda and Nairobi peace processes, additional facilitation, and renewed direct dialogue with all armed groups under a unified framework. Subsequent PSC sessions in January and February led to the establishment of a Joint AU/EAC/SADC Coordination Mechanism to provide technical support, foster collaboration with other regional entities, and harmonize peace initiatives. With recent developments, including the appointment of facilitators and mediator—now President Faure Gnassingbé of Togo—the June 25 session will review conflict progress, align these efforts with broader regional initiatives, and stress the urgent need for unobstructed humanitarian access, particularly considering mass displacement and increasing sexual and gender-based violence.

In addition, the PSC Committee of Sanctions is scheduled to meet on June 24 to update its activities and continue its oversight of the evolving situation.

Each of these sessions highlights the PSC's comprehensive approach to addressing crisis points in South Sudan, evaluating Africa's collective security agenda, integrating human rights into conflict resolution processes, and coordinating regional peace efforts in eastern DRC. This multifaceted agenda is vital as the PSC continues its work to navigate a complex security landscape and secure sustainable peace and stability across the continent.