The United Nations (UN) and African Union (AU) have called on former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo to intensify efforts to prevent renewed conflict in Ethiopia and safeguard the 2022 peace agreement he helped broker.
The two organisations reaffirmed their “steadfast support” for Obasanjo’s renewed mediation efforts and urged the parties to return immediately to direct negotiations under the Permanent Cessation of Hostilities Agreement.
They warned that miscalculations in northern Ethiopia could lead to further escalation and destabilise the wider Horn of Africa.
The position was reached at the 27th Consultative Meeting of the UN-AU Joint Task Force on Peace and Security in New York.
Obasanjo, who serves as the AU High Representative for the Horn of Africa, led the mediation that resulted in the Pretoria peace agreement between Ethiopia’s Federal Government and Tigrayan forces in November 2022.
With tensions reportedly rising again, the former Nigerian president is expected to re-engage the parties, revive direct dialogue and help prevent the agreement from collapsing.
The UN and AU agreed to strengthen coordination in support of his mediation and urged all parties to resolve outstanding disputes through good-faith dialogue rather than renewed hostilities.
The AU delegation at the meeting was led by its Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security, Ambassador Bankole Adeoye.
Representing the UN were Under-Secretaries-General Rosemary DiCarlo, Jean-Pierre Lacroix and Atul Khare, alongside the UN Special Representative to the AU, Parfait Onanga-Anyanga, and Assistant Secretary-General for Africa, Martin Kimani.
The task force also reviewed conflicts and political developments in Sudan, Somalia, South Sudan and the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo.
On Sudan, the UN and AU maintained that there could be no sustainable military solution to the conflict and called for an immediate cessation of hostilities.
They rejected the establishment of parallel governing structures and urged an inclusive Sudanese dialogue leading to civilian-led governance.
The organisations also condemned external interference and military support contributing to the continuation of the conflict.
On Somalia, the task force reaffirmed its support for the African Union Support and Stabilisation Mission and stressed the importance of sustained international backing.
It also encouraged Somali stakeholders to continue dialogue towards an inclusive agreement on elections.
In the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, the UN and AU welcomed African, regional and international peace initiatives and called for an effective and permanent ceasefire.
They also backed efforts towards an inclusive national dialogue to support lasting peace in the country.
On South Sudan, the meeting called for greater national consensus ahead of the planned December elections and urged authorities to address outstanding gaps in preparations.
The task force further reviewed UN-AU cooperation in conflict prevention, mediation, early warning, human rights and support for African-led peace operations.
It highlighted the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 2719, which provides a framework for predictable financing of eligible AU-led peace support operations on a case-by-case basis.
The meeting also welcomed new agreements on operational support and knowledge exchange signed on the sidelines of the 81st UN General Assembly.
The next statutory meeting of the Joint Task Force will be hosted by the African Union Commission.
 and African Union (AU) have called on former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo to intensify efforts to prevent){kind=link}