Key Takeaways
- The African Union Peace and Security Council (PSC) will hold its 1339th session on 16 April 2026, focusing on “Artificial Intelligence: Governance, Peace and Security in Africa” at the ministerial level.
- The meeting builds on earlier PSC discussions (June 2024, March 2025, March 2026) that called for a Comprehensive Study on AI, an AU Advisory Group on AI, a Common African Position on AI, and mechanisms to monitor AI’s impact on peace and security.
- Speakers include Ethiopia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Gedion Timothewos Hessebon (Chairperson of the PSC), AU Commission Chairperson Mahamoud Ali Youssouf, the Director General of the Ethiopian AI Institute, the Chairperson of the AU Advisory Group on AI, and a UNOICT official.
- Africa’s AI potential is huge – projected to add US$2.9–4.8 trillion to the continent’s economy by 2030 – but the region currently holds only about 1 % of global AI‑computing capacity and faces infrastructural, regulatory, and talent gaps.
- The PSC is expected to adopt a communiqué urging the development of national and continental AI technical/regulatory frameworks, alignment with international humanitarian and human‑rights law, faster work on a Common African Position, stronger African representation in global AI governance, and inclusive policies that promote women’s and youth participation in AI‑driven peacebuilding.
Background of the Upcoming PSC Session
Tomorrow (16 April), the African Union (AU) Peace and Security Council (PSC) will convene its 1339th session on “Artificial Intelligence: Governance, Peace and Security in Africa” at the ministerial level. The gathering follows a series of PSC deliberations that have progressively elevated AI to a core peace‑and‑security issue on the continent. As the AU’s principal organ for conflict prevention, crisis management and post‑conflict reconstruction, the PSC’s focus underscores the growing recognition that AI’s rapid diffusion carries both transformative promise and novel risks for stability across Africa.
Opening Remarks and Leadership
The session will open with remarks by Gedion Timothewos Hessebon, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia and Chairperson of the PSC for April 2026. He will be followed by an introductory statement from Mahamoud Ali Youssouf, Chairperson of the AU Commission. The programme notes that Hessebon’s opening will set the tone for a ministerial‑level debate that seeks to translate high‑level policy commitments into concrete action plans for AI governance.
Speakers and Expert Briefings
After the opening remarks, the PSC will hear briefings from Worku Gachena Negera, Director General of the Ethiopian Artificial Intelligence Institute, and Samson Itodo, Chairperson of the African Union Advisory Group on Artificial Intelligence. Adding an international perspective, Bernardo Mariano Junior, Assistant Secretary‑General and Chief Information Technology Officer of the UN Office of Information and Communications Technology (UNOICT), will deliver a statement on how global AI trends intersect with African peace and security priorities. This mix of continental, national and UN voices reflects the PSC’s intent to ground its deliberations in both local realities and worldwide developments.
Economic Promise and Global Context
The rapid development of AI and its accelerating deployment across political, social, economic, cultural and security spheres is attracting growing policy attention worldwide. The AU notes that “AI is projected to add between $2.9 trillion and $4.8 trillion to Africa’s economy by 2030”, presenting a significant opportunity for the continent’s youth‑majority population. Sectors ranging from agriculture and healthcare to education and finance are poised for major transformation, yet the benefits will only materialise if Africa can overcome structural impediments and shape AI to serve its own developmental goals.
Regional Disparities and Structural Challenges
Despite the optimism, Africa’s AI landscape is marked by a “non‑linear” development path characterised by stark regional disparities. East and Southern Africa boast relatively mature ecosystems, whereas Central Africa remains nascent due to limited electricity, digital literacy and infrastructure. Persistent challenges—including unreliable power supplies, fragmented data regulations, absence of a comprehensive policy framework, and the drain of local talent to multinational tech firms—hinder the continent’s ability to harness AI effectively. Consequently, “Africa currently represents only about 1 % of the world’s AI computing capacity”, leaving it vulnerable to becoming a mere consumer of technologies designed elsewhere.
Governance, Peace‑and‑Security Dimensions
Recognising AI’s reshaping of global governance, development and security, the UN and AU have intensified their engagement. At the UN level, the General Assembly adopted Resolution 79/239 on Artificial Intelligence in the military domain and its implications for international peace and security, while the Security Council continues to examine AI’s strategic ramifications. These initiatives, together with ongoing efforts to craft a global AI governance framework, highlight the necessity for Africa to articulate its own positions—particularly on data protection, the digital divide, capacity building, regulatory gaps, safeguarding vulnerable groups, and the military use of AI.
Previous PSC Engagements on AI
The PSC’s dedication to AI began with its 1214th session on 13 June 2024, held as part of the AU’s 20th‑anniversary commemorations. That meeting underscored AI’s transformative potential for peacebuilding—citing applications in early warning systems, conflict prevention and post‑conflict recovery—while warning of the risks posed by a regulatory vacuum. It tasked the AU Commission to “undertake a comprehensive study on the impact and implications of AI on peace, security, stability, democracy and development in Africa and submit the Report to the PSC as soon as possible.” It also mandated the creation of a multidisciplinary Advisory Group on AI, peace, security and good governance, with a remit to propose options for Continental Artificial Intelligence governance, including military applications, and to report every six months.
Building on that foundation, the PSC convened its first ministerial‑level meeting on 20 March 2025 (session 1267th) under the same theme. The 1267th session advocated mainstreaming AI in peace support operations, early warning mechanisms and preventive diplomacy, and called for the development of a Common African Position on AI and an African Charter on AI to guide responsible use. Progress followed, notably the establishment of the AU AI Advisory Group on Governance, Peace and Security in March 2025. In December 2025, the Advisory Group met in Nairobi to deliberate on emerging AI trends, opportunities and risks, and to advance work on the Common African Position. A technical workshop in Kigali (November 2025) produced a joint AU‑RECs/RMs roadmap to integrate AI into the Continental Early Warning System.
Gender Dimensions: Women, Peace and Security
The PSC’s 1334th session in March 2026, themed “Women, Peace and Security in Africa: Women’s Leadership in Addressing Emerging Threats to Peace and Security: Artificial Intelligence and Technology‑Facilitated Violence,” highlighted how AI can exacerbate existing inequalities. The Council noted that the adoption of new technologies, including AI, often “accentuates existing patterns of discrimination and prejudice, including technology‑facilitated gender‑based violence, online harassment, misinformation and disinformation, which undermines women’s effective leadership, credibility, reputation, participation, safety and authority.” Consequently, it directed the AU Commission—specifically the AI Advisory Group on Governance, Peace and Security—to ensure that women’s issues are embedded in the formulation of the Common African Position on AI governance, peace and security.
Field Visit, Ethiopia’s Champion Role and Continental Initiatives
Tomorrow’s meeting is scheduled just a day before the PSC undertakes a field visit to the Ethiopian AI Institute and the Science and Technology Museum, part of its April 2026 outreach programme. Recall that the 39th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the Union (February 2026) endorsed Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed of Ethiopia as the AU Champion for AI. Relatedly, the Assembly decided to “establish an annual AI for Africa Conference,” building on the inaugural conference held in Cape Town in September 2025. These initiatives signal a commitment to showcase African AI excellence, foster south‑south cooperation, and create platforms for knowledge exchange.
Expected Outcomes and Communiqué Priorities
The PSC anticipates adopting a communiqué that will likely stress several priority actions. First, it may underscore the need for developing technical and regulatory infrastructure at both national and continental levels to enable Africa to harness AI’s benefits while containing its risks. Second, the communiqué may reiterate that “AI and its use, including in the military domain, are subject to international law rules, including human rights and international humanitarian laws.” Third, it may urge Member States to adopt national legislation aligned with a continental AI strategy and framework, particularly concerning governance, peace and security. Fourth, the PSC could encourage the AU Advisory Group on AI in Peace, Security and Governance to expedite the development of the Common African Position on AI and its impact on peace, security, democracy and development in Africa, consulting all Member States. Fifth, the Council may call for greater African representation on global AI regulatory and governance bodies, advocating for complementarity among continental and international initiatives. Finally, the PSC is expected to promote conducive conditions for meaningful engagement of women and youth in digital governance, AI policy, conflict prevention, peacebuilding and decision‑making, ensuring equitable access to digital tools, literacy and platforms.
Conclusion
The forthcoming PSC session represents a critical juncture in Africa’s quest to shape an AI future that is inclusive, secure and aligned with the continent’s peace and security aspirations. By translating earlier deliberations into actionable commitments—ranging from infrastructure investment and regulatory harmonisation to gender‑responsive policies and strengthened global advocacy—the AU aims to move beyond being a passive consumer of AI technologies toward becoming an active architect of AI governance that serves African realities. The communiqué expected from the 1339th session will likely serve as a benchmark for measuring progress toward that vision in the months and years ahead.
Artificial Intelligence: Governance, Peace and Security in Africa