The Southern African Development Community (SADC) has welcomed a landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the African Union (AU), Regional Economic Communities (RECs) and regional mechanisms aimed at strengthening Africa’s collective peace and security architecture.

The agreement was signed during the 5th African Union Inter-Regional Economic Communities Knowledge Exchange Policy Session held in El-Alamein, Egypt, over the weekend.

At the centre of the agreement is the use of the African Standby Force (ASF), a key component of the continent’s efforts to develop coordinated and effective responses to peace and security challenges.

SADC Executive Secretary and Chairperson of the Inter-Regional Economic Communities Coordination Mechanism, Elias Magosi, hailed the signing as an important step towards deeper institutional cooperation between the AU and Africa’s regional organisations.

Magosi said the MoU provides an important framework for strengthening collaboration, coordination and information exchange among continental and regional institutions involved in peace and security.

The African Standby Force was established as part of the AU’s broader peace and security architecture, with regional standby arrangements designed to support continental efforts in areas including conflict prevention, crisis management and peace support operations.

The latest agreement is expected to help improve coordination between the AU and RECs, which play a critical role in addressing conflicts and security challenges within their respective regions.

For SADC, the development comes as regional organisations continue to face complex security challenges requiring stronger cooperation, shared capabilities and coordinated responses.

The agreement also reflects growing efforts to strengthen African-led solutions to African peace and security challenges, while improving the links between continental policies and regional implementation.

The El-Alamein meeting provided an opportunity for African regional bodies to exchange experiences and discuss ways of improving cooperation across the continent’s peace, security and development frameworks.

The MoU is therefore being viewed as an important milestone in efforts to build a more coordinated African peace and security system capable of responding more effectively to emerging threats and crises.

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