It was both a pleasure and a privilege to host the 4th Joint Retreat of the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) and the African Union Peace and Security Council (PSC). This gathering is a true testament to our unwavering commitment to ensure that the APRM contributes effectively to early conflict prevention, in harmony and synergy with the African Peace and Security Architecture (APSA) and the African Governance Architecture (AGA).
April 7, 2025, marked 31 years since the horrific genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda. Over the span of 100 days, 1 million people were brutally killed. A terrible betrayal of our conscience and a brutal shock to mankind. This remains a stark reminder of the importance of preventing such atrocities at all costs.
Never must we allow hatred and explicit intent to destroy any group based on their identity. The principle of the “responsibility to protect,” enshrined in Article 4(h) of the African Union Constitutive Act, asserts the right of the Union to intervene in a Member State in the face of grave circumstances such as war crimes, genocide, and crimes against humanity. This should always be our strength as an organisation, a reminder that never again will our organisation remain indifferent in the face of such carnage.
The APRM was established as an autonomous governance assessment instrument to promote political, economic, and corporate governance through voluntary peer reviews and related interventions among AU Member States. In simple terms, the APRM, which I have the privilege to serve, was designed to diagnose governance challenges across the continent and help develop the standards necessary for policy convergence and regional integration.
Based on these diagnostic reports, timely interventions are necessary to prevent instability, as well as peace and security risks. The nexus between governance, democracy, and peace and security is undeniable. Yet, for the past 22 years, the APRM—now with 44 Member States—has conducted 32 reviews across 26 Member States. A synthesis of these reviews reveals a glaring gap between early warning (as provided by our reviews) and early intervention, which are concrete actions towards lasting peace and security. This nexus, although universally recognised, is not sufficiently considered by our AU entities. In many instances, the lack of intervention by peer-reviewed Member States has directly contributed to instability and conflict on the continent.
Here are a few examples to illustrate this:
- In South Africa, the APRM Country Review Report of 2007 identified the issue of xenophobia well before the violent eruptions in 2008, 2015, and 2019.
- In Ethiopia, the APRM Country Review Report of 2011, stated and I quote: “Managing diversity and ensuring all-inclusive governance has to also be achieved through establishing and strengthening symmetrical relationships between the federal government and the regional states and between regional states themselves so that regional inequalities and historical imbalances among national groups can be effectively addressed. Effective symmetrical relationships are particularly critical in the area of fiscal governance.” These warnings came well before the catastrophic war in Tigray between 2020 and 2022.
- More recently, in Mozambique, our Second Country Review Report of 2019, the 2019 Country Review Report flagged electoral processes as key triggers for violence, a warning that became evident in the post-election violence after the October 2024 elections.
- In Sudan, the APRM Governance Gap Analysis Report of 2020 highlighted that the military has long dominated Sudan’s political landscape, with no effective devolution or decentralisation of power. It identified a clear link between the military elite and former warring factions, as well as their economic control over resources in various regions, which has left civilians with little or no political power. These structural factors are undeniably at the root of the ongoing conflict in Sudan, which erupted in April 2023 and has led to one of the worst humanitarian crises in recent history.
This is a serious reflection on our collective failure to pay attention to the early warnings from the APRM reports. When I say “collective,” I truly mean all stakeholders. My question is: How can we fix this? How can we effectively prevent protracted instability and conflict?
Common sense dictates that if we continue doing things the same way, we will achieve the same results. Let us, therefore, resolve to do things differently. Let this Retreat be the moment we change our approach to preventive diplomacy and early interventions. After 22 years, the APRM must evolve beyond being merely a diagnostic tool for conflict prevention. It must become a truly effective mechanism for early warning and intervention.
To that end, the APRM’s newly approved strategic plan will focus on tangible results and measurable impact. No more endless conferences with little attention to implementation. No more reviews with limited influence or concrete outcomes. No more eloquent statements without strategic, smart deliverables.
We cannot continue work in silos. We must continuously engage with our relevant AU organs and institutions, not to overshadow them, no, but to work collaboratively to address the continent’s biggest challenges. This includes working closely with PAPS, the PSC, the AGA-APSA platforms, to use our reviews as the main reference point for smart political interventions.
Our regional economic communities (RECs) play a critical role in detecting vulnerabilities early, often before continental bodies can. We must also address the persistent culture of denialism by some Member States regarding credible early warning reports. The APRM has already signed an MoU with the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) and is in the process of doing so with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC). Discussions with other RECs and mechanisms are ongoing. This is what I consider progress.
We must also address the persistent culture of denialism by some Member States regarding credible early warning reports
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We have also partnered with AUDA-NEPAD (African Union Development Agency-New Partnership for Africa’s Development) to better align governance and development agendas. This, after all, was the raison d’être for the creation of APRM, and we have revisited that, and decided to go back to the drawing board and agree on concrete actions to achieve this objective. AUDA-NEPAD’s role is crucial towards the implementation of our National Programme of Action with impact and tangible results. Again, this is what I call progress.
Based on the PSC’s decision from the last Joint Retreat, we are working closely with PAPS to restore constitutionalism in Gabon. After the elections, we will conduct a governance gap analysis to strengthen democratic institutions and rebuild the country, thus preventing further conflict. We will continue to support countries in political transition due to unconstitutional change of governments, including those that present more challenges. However, we must implement the recommendations of AGR 2023 on Unconstitutional Changes of Government. Thanks to my brother Ambassador Bankole, the APRM is now part of the AU Election Observer Missions, and we will participate in the mission to Gabon.
Africa is facing unprecedented challenges due to shifts in the post-World War II global order. As Africans, our focus must transcend debates about a unipolar, bipolar, or multipolar world. Our priority should be to come together, chart our path forward, and ensure that Africa emerges as a strategic global player from a position of our interest and agency. This agency lies in our ability to come together and solve our problems without external interference or influence.
This agency also lies in our ability to build societies grounded in good governance, democracy, the rule of law, human rights, dignity, and constitutionalism. Only when we achieve these will we find peace. And it is only through peace that we can attain true growth and development. We need a more robust and sustained engagement with the PSC. One annual retreat is insufficient for addressing the dynamic vulnerabilities we face.
Let us anchor our actions in the promotion of good governance and democracy, which are key prerequisites for conflict prevention. These foster stability, accountability, and inclusive participation, addressing the root causes of conflict and building resilient societies. As former OAU Secretary-General Salim Ahmed Salim once said, and I quote:
Let us anchor our actions in the promotion of good governance and democracy, which are key prerequisites for conflict prevention
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“Good Governance, accountability and transparency should be nurtured and sustained and above all made an essential component of our societies.”
H.E. Ambassador Marie-Antoniette Rose-Quatre is the Chief Executive Officer of the African Peer Review Mechanism
This article is taken from the opening remarks delivered by Ambassador Rose-Quatre at the 4th Annual Joint Retreat of the APRM and PSC. More information about the Retreat can be found here.
