Communiqué of the 1339th meeting of the PSC on “Artificial Intelligence: Governance, Peace and Security”, held on Thursday, 16 A
Archived: 2026-04-23 17:12
Communiqué of the 1339th meeting of the PSC on “Artificial Intelligence: Governance, Peace and Security”, held on Thursday, 16 April 2026 -African Union - Peace and Security Department
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Communiqué of the 1339th meeting of the PSC on “Artificial Intelligence: Governance, Peace and Security”, held on Thursday, 16 April 2026
Last Updated on Friday 17 April 2026
COMMUNIQUE?
Adopted by the Peace and Security Council (PSC) of the African Union (AU) at its 1339th meeting on “Artificial Intelligence: Governance, Peace and Security”, held on Thursday, 16 April 2026.
The Peace and Security Council,
Recalling its previous PSC decisions on Artificial Intelligence (AI) and emerging technologies, in particular Communiqués PSC/PR/COMM.1214 (2024) and PSC/MIN/COMM.1267 (2025);
Also taking note of the AU Continental Artificial Intelligence Strategy (2024), and its emphasis on harnessing AI for development, building capabilities, minimizing risks, stimulating investment, and fostering cooperation;
Acknowledging the outcomes of the High-Level Policy Dialogue on AI organized by the Government of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia in collaboration with the AU Commission, held in Addis Ababa in May 2025, which underscored AI as a strategic priority for Africa;
Further acknowledging the outcomes of the 3rd African Startup Conference held under the theme: ‘Reimagining Africa through Artificial Intelligence’, in Algiers from 5 to 7 December 2024;
Recognizing the rapid evolution of Artificial Intelligence shaping global governance, with profound implications for sovereignty, development, peace and security, while emphasizing the need to urgently harness the opportunities presented by AI while mitigating associated risks, including disinformation, cyber threats, data exploitation, and misuse in conflict settings;
Taking note of the opening statements by H.E. Dr. Gedion Timothewos, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia and Chairperson of the PSC for April 2026, and by H.E. Mahamoud Ali Youssouf, Chairperson of the AU Commission, read on his behalf by H.E. Ambassador Bankole Adeoye, Commissioner for Political Affairs Peace and Security; as well as the briefings delivered by H.E. Dr. Worku Gachena Negera, Director General of Ethiopian Artificial Intelligence Institute; Mr. Samson Itodo, Chairperson of the African Union Advisory Group on Artificial Intelligence; and Mr. Bernardo Mariano Junior, Assistant Secretary-General, Chief Information Technology Officer, UN Office of Information and Communications Technology (UNOICT); and
Listen to this article (Press F7)
comments
COMMUNIQUE?
Adopted by the Peace and Security Council (PSC) of the African Union (AU) at its 1339
th
meeting on “Artificial Intelligence: Governance, Peace and Security”, held on Thursday, 16 April 2026.
The Peace and Security Council,
Recalling
its previous PSC decisions on Artificial Intelligence (AI) and emerging technologies, in particular Communiqués
PSC/PR/COMM.1214 (2024)
and
PSC/MIN/COMM.1267 (2025)
;
Also taking note of
the AU Continental Artificial Intelligence Strategy (2024), and its emphasis on harnessing AI for development, building capabilities, minimizing risks, stimulating investment, and fostering cooperation;
Acknowledging
the outcomes of the High-Level Policy Dialogue on AI organized by the Government of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia in collaboration with the AU Commission, held in Addis Ababa in May 2025, which underscored AI as a strategic priority for Africa;
Further acknowledging the outcomes of the 3
rd
African Startup Conference held under the theme: ‘
Reimagining Africa through Artificial Intelligence’
, in Algiers from 5 to 7 December 2024;
Recognizing
the rapid evolution of Artificial Intelligence shaping global governance, with profound implications for sovereignty, development, peace and security, while
emphasizing
the need to urgently harness the opportunities presented by AI while mitigating associated risks, including disinformation, cyber threats, data exploitation, and misuse in conflict settings;
Taking
note
of the opening statements by H.E. Dr. Gedion Timothewos, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia and Chairperson of the PSC for April 2026, and by H.E. Mahamoud Ali Youssouf, Chairperson of the AU Commission, read on his behalf by H.E. Ambassador Bankole Adeoye, Commissioner for Political Affairs Peace and Security; as well as the briefings delivered by H.E. Dr. Worku Gachena Negera, Director General of Ethiopian Artificial Intelligence Institute; Mr. Samson Itodo, Chairperson of the African Union Advisory Group on Artificial Intelligence; and Mr. Bernardo Mariano Junior, Assistant Secretary-General, Chief Information Technology Officer, UN Office of Information and Communications Technology (UNOICT); and
Acting under Article 7 of its Protocol, the Peace and Security Council,
1.
Reaffirms
Africa’s sovereign right to harness artificial intelligence for peace, security, and development, in accordance with international law and African priorities;
calls for
the development of AI systems in African languages to enhance inclusivity, cultural preservation, and social cohesion;
while taking into consideration the potential of artificial intelligence to enhance conflict prevention, mediation, peace support operations, and post-conflict reconstruction;
2.
Welcomes
the AU Continental Artificial Intelligence Strategy (2024) and
requests
Member States to accelerate its implementation, including through the development of national AI strategies aligned with Agenda 2063 and the 2030 Agenda;
3.
Also welcomes
the theme of the Year for 2027: “
AU at the Dawn of its 25
th
Anniversary: Leveraging the Full Potential of Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM) and New Technologies for Continental Integration,”
adopted through Decision [
Assembly/AU/Dec.952(XXXIX)
] by the 39th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the Union, 14-15 February 2026, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; and
underscores
the growing relevance of emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, in advancing Africa’s peace, security, governance and integration agenda, in line with Agenda 2063;
4.
Acknowledges
the designation of H.E. Dr. Abiy Ahmed, Prime Minister of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, as the African Union Champion for Artificial Intelligence and Digital Health through Assembly Decision [Assembly/AU/Dec.966(XXXIX)] adopted by 39th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the Union, 14-15 February 2026, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and
expresses
support for his efforts in this regard;
5.
Emphasizes
the need for Africa to shape and control its AI technology and ensure Africa’s AI sovereignty in the entire AI ecosystem;
6.
Underscores
the importance of ensuring that global AI governance frameworks and processes are inclusive, representative, and
stresses
the need to strengthen African participation in global norm-setting processes through coordinated positions and strategic engagements within multilateral platforms;
7.
Welcomes
the efforts deployed by the AU Commission through the AI Advisory Group on Governance, Peace and Security and
takes note
of the progress made on the development of the Policy Brief on AI for Peace, Security and Governance in Africa; and
requests
the Commission to expedite the finalization of the comprehensive study and the Common African Position on AI and its Impact on Peace, Security, Democracy and Development in Africa, in line with the relevant PSC decisions and submit to the PSC for its consideration;
8.
Emphasizes
the need for the development and deployment of AI technologies must be guided by principles of transparency, accountability, inclusivity, ethical governance, benefit sharing, social cohesion and full respect for international law;
9.
Advocates
for the progressive development of context-specific and adaptable AI
governance and regulatory frameworks/charter, aligned with international humanitarian law, and principles of meaningful human control;
10.
Underscores
the importance of safeguarding Africa’s digital and data sovereignty, ensuring that AI development and governance reflect the continent’s values, cultures, diversity, and development priorities, while preventing digital exploitation, unequal benefit-sharing and promoting digital industrial policies that support inter alia data localization, technology transfer and disclosure of source code to ensure digital catchup;
11.
Requests
the AU Commission to progressively integrate AI-enabled tools into AGA and APSA, in particular the Continental Early Warning System (CEWS) in the areas of data collection and analysis, risk mapping, scenario building and predictive analytics, with due consideration to ethical governance and capacity constraints;
12.
Expresses concern
over the risks associated with the misuse of AI technologies, including cybercrime, disinformation, privacy violations, technology-facilitated violence and the potential weaponization of AI, particularly in conflict settings; in this regard,
highlights
the need to bridge the global and continental asymmetry in AI capabilities, including access to electricity, computing power, high-quality datasets, infrastructure and technical expertise, and calls for enhanced efforts to build African capacity in these critical areas;
13.
Calls for
increased investment in Africa’s AI ecosystem, including digital infrastructure, data systems, computing capacity, and human capital development, including through the establishment of multi-stakeholder and multilevel governance systems;
14.
Requests
the AU Commission to expedite the establishment of an African Fund for AI, following due process, to finance the continent AI infrastructures and startups, including targeted support for African youth-led technology enterprises, in line with the Youth, Peace and Security agenda;
15.
Commends
ongoing national efforts by Member States aimed at strengthening AI capacity, including initiatives to establish specialized institutions, research centres and training programmes, which can serve as reference points for broader continental cooperation;
16.
Directs
the African Union Commission to explore the establishment of an African Centre of Excellence on Artificial Intelligence, following due process, with a view to strengthening research, policy coordination, technical expertise and capacity-building for Member States, as well as to facilitate the responsible integration of AI in the peace and security architecture;
17.
Encourages
the institutionalization of an African network of National AI centres to coordinate African efforts to speak with a common and influential African voice on the future of AI;
18.
Emphasizes the need for
enhanced cooperation among Member States, Regional Economic Communities, and Regional Mechanisms (RECs/RMs), the private sector, academia, civil society and international partners to mobilize resources, facilitate technology transfer and support Africa’s AI ecosystem;
19.
Requests
the AU Commission, in collaboration with the Advisory Group, to continue monitoring developments in artificial intelligence and submit periodic reports to the Council; including emerging risks, opportunities and governance development, with recommendations on regulatory policies and frameworks;
20.
Decides
to remain actively seized of the matter.
Posted by
Situation Room ICU
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Communiqué of the 1339th meeting of the PSC on “Artificial Intelligence: Governance, Peace and Security”, held on Thursday, 16 April 2026
Last Updated on Friday 17 April 2026
COMMUNIQUE?
Adopted by the Peace and Security Council (PSC) of the African Union (AU) at its 1339th meeting on “Artificial Intelligence: Governance, Peace and Security”, held on Thursday, 16 April 2026.
The Peace and Security Council,
Recalling its previous PSC decisions on Artificial Intelligence (AI) and emerging technologies, in particular Communiqués PSC/PR/COMM.1214 (2024) and PSC/MIN/COMM.1267 (2025);
Also taking note of the AU Continental Artificial Intelligence Strategy (2024), and its emphasis on harnessing AI for development, building capabilities, minimizing risks, stimulating investment, and fostering cooperation;
Acknowledging the outcomes of the High-Level Policy Dialogue on AI organized by the Government of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia in collaboration with the AU Commission, held in Addis Ababa in May 2025, which underscored AI as a strategic priority for Africa;
Further acknowledging the outcomes of the 3rd African Startup Conference held under the theme: ‘Reimagining Africa through Artificial Intelligence’, in Algiers from 5 to 7 December 2024;
Recognizing the rapid evolution of Artificial Intelligence shaping global governance, with profound implications for sovereignty, development, peace and security, while emphasizing the need to urgently harness the opportunities presented by AI while mitigating associated risks, including disinformation, cyber threats, data exploitation, and misuse in conflict settings;
Taking note of the opening statements by H.E. Dr. Gedion Timothewos, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia and Chairperson of the PSC for April 2026, and by H.E. Mahamoud Ali Youssouf, Chairperson of the AU Commission, read on his behalf by H.E. Ambassador Bankole Adeoye, Commissioner for Political Affairs Peace and Security; as well as the briefings delivered by H.E. Dr. Worku Gachena Negera, Director General of Ethiopian Artificial Intelligence Institute; Mr. Samson Itodo, Chairperson of the African Union Advisory Group on Artificial Intelligence; and Mr. Bernardo Mariano Junior, Assistant Secretary-General, Chief Information Technology Officer, UN Office of Information and Communications Technology (UNOICT); and
Listen to this article (Press F7)
comments
COMMUNIQUE?
Adopted by the Peace and Security Council (PSC) of the African Union (AU) at its 1339
th
meeting on “Artificial Intelligence: Governance, Peace and Security”, held on Thursday, 16 April 2026.
The Peace and Security Council,
Recalling
its previous PSC decisions on Artificial Intelligence (AI) and emerging technologies, in particular Communiqués
PSC/PR/COMM.1214 (2024)
and
PSC/MIN/COMM.1267 (2025)
;
Also taking note of
the AU Continental Artificial Intelligence Strategy (2024), and its emphasis on harnessing AI for development, building capabilities, minimizing risks, stimulating investment, and fostering cooperation;
Acknowledging
the outcomes of the High-Level Policy Dialogue on AI organized by the Government of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia in collaboration with the AU Commission, held in Addis Ababa in May 2025, which underscored AI as a strategic priority for Africa;
Further acknowledging the outcomes of the 3
rd
African Startup Conference held under the theme: ‘
Reimagining Africa through Artificial Intelligence’
, in Algiers from 5 to 7 December 2024;
Recognizing
the rapid evolution of Artificial Intelligence shaping global governance, with profound implications for sovereignty, development, peace and security, while
emphasizing
the need to urgently harness the opportunities presented by AI while mitigating associated risks, including disinformation, cyber threats, data exploitation, and misuse in conflict settings;
Taking
note
of the opening statements by H.E. Dr. Gedion Timothewos, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia and Chairperson of the PSC for April 2026, and by H.E. Mahamoud Ali Youssouf, Chairperson of the AU Commission, read on his behalf by H.E. Ambassador Bankole Adeoye, Commissioner for Political Affairs Peace and Security; as well as the briefings delivered by H.E. Dr. Worku Gachena Negera, Director General of Ethiopian Artificial Intelligence Institute; Mr. Samson Itodo, Chairperson of the African Union Advisory Group on Artificial Intelligence; and Mr. Bernardo Mariano Junior, Assistant Secretary-General, Chief Information Technology Officer, UN Office of Information and Communications Technology (UNOICT); and
Acting under Article 7 of its Protocol, the Peace and Security Council,
1.
Reaffirms
Africa’s sovereign right to harness artificial intelligence for peace, security, and development, in accordance with international law and African priorities;
calls for
the development of AI systems in African languages to enhance inclusivity, cultural preservation, and social cohesion;
while taking into consideration the potential of artificial intelligence to enhance conflict prevention, mediation, peace support operations, and post-conflict reconstruction;
2.
Welcomes
the AU Continental Artificial Intelligence Strategy (2024) and
requests
Member States to accelerate its implementation, including through the development of national AI strategies aligned with Agenda 2063 and the 2030 Agenda;
3.
Also welcomes
the theme of the Year for 2027: “
AU at the Dawn of its 25
th
Anniversary: Leveraging the Full Potential of Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM) and New Technologies for Continental Integration,”
adopted through Decision [
Assembly/AU/Dec.952(XXXIX)
] by the 39th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the Union, 14-15 February 2026, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; and
underscores
the growing relevance of emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, in advancing Africa’s peace, security, governance and integration agenda, in line with Agenda 2063;
4.
Acknowledges
the designation of H.E. Dr. Abiy Ahmed, Prime Minister of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, as the African Union Champion for Artificial Intelligence and Digital Health through Assembly Decision [Assembly/AU/Dec.966(XXXIX)] adopted by 39th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the Union, 14-15 February 2026, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and
expresses
support for his efforts in this regard;
5.
Emphasizes
the need for Africa to shape and control its AI technology and ensure Africa’s AI sovereignty in the entire AI ecosystem;
6.
Underscores
the importance of ensuring that global AI governance frameworks and processes are inclusive, representative, and
stresses
the need to strengthen African participation in global norm-setting processes through coordinated positions and strategic engagements within multilateral platforms;
7.
Welcomes
the efforts deployed by the AU Commission through the AI Advisory Group on Governance, Peace and Security and
takes note
of the progress made on the development of the Policy Brief on AI for Peace, Security and Governance in Africa; and
requests
the Commission to expedite the finalization of the comprehensive study and the Common African Position on AI and its Impact on Peace, Security, Democracy and Development in Africa, in line with the relevant PSC decisions and submit to the PSC for its consideration;
8.
Emphasizes
the need for the development and deployment of AI technologies must be guided by principles of transparency, accountability, inclusivity, ethical governance, benefit sharing, social cohesion and full respect for international law;
9.
Advocates
for the progressive development of context-specific and adaptable AI
governance and regulatory frameworks/charter, aligned with international humanitarian law, and principles of meaningful human control;
10.
Underscores
the importance of safeguarding Africa’s digital and data sovereignty, ensuring that AI development and governance reflect the continent’s values, cultures, diversity, and development priorities, while preventing digital exploitation, unequal benefit-sharing and promoting digital industrial policies that support inter alia data localization, technology transfer and disclosure of source code to ensure digital catchup;
11.
Requests
the AU Commission to progressively integrate AI-enabled tools into AGA and APSA, in particular the Continental Early Warning System (CEWS) in the areas of data collection and analysis, risk mapping, scenario building and predictive analytics, with due consideration to ethical governance and capacity constraints;
12.
Expresses concern
over the risks associated with the misuse of AI technologies, including cybercrime, disinformation, privacy violations, technology-facilitated violence and the potential weaponization of AI, particularly in conflict settings; in this regard,
highlights
the need to bridge the global and continental asymmetry in AI capabilities, including access to electricity, computing power, high-quality datasets, infrastructure and technical expertise, and calls for enhanced efforts to build African capacity in these critical areas;
13.
Calls for
increased investment in Africa’s AI ecosystem, including digital infrastructure, data systems, computing capacity, and human capital development, including through the establishment of multi-stakeholder and multilevel governance systems;
14.
Requests
the AU Commission to expedite the establishment of an African Fund for AI, following due process, to finance the continent AI infrastructures and startups, including targeted support for African youth-led technology enterprises, in line with the Youth, Peace and Security agenda;
15.
Commends
ongoing national efforts by Member States aimed at strengthening AI capacity, including initiatives to establish specialized institutions, research centres and training programmes, which can serve as reference points for broader continental cooperation;
16.
Directs
the African Union Commission to explore the establishment of an African Centre of Excellence on Artificial Intelligence, following due process, with a view to strengthening research, policy coordination, technical expertise and capacity-building for Member States, as well as to facilitate the responsible integration of AI in the peace and security architecture;
17.
Encourages
the institutionalization of an African network of National AI centres to coordinate African efforts to speak with a common and influential African voice on the future of AI;
18.
Emphasizes the need for
enhanced cooperation among Member States, Regional Economic Communities, and Regional Mechanisms (RECs/RMs), the private sector, academia, civil society and international partners to mobilize resources, facilitate technology transfer and support Africa’s AI ecosystem;
19.
Requests
the AU Commission, in collaboration with the Advisory Group, to continue monitoring developments in artificial intelligence and submit periodic reports to the Council; including emerging risks, opportunities and governance development, with recommendations on regulatory policies and frameworks;
20.
Decides
to remain actively seized of the matter.
Posted by
Situation Room ICU
We use cookies on our website and mobile app to improve content display and
overall user experience. The cookies we use do not store personally identifiable
information nor can they harm your computer.
We intend to provide you with the right knowledge on-demand at the right
time and in the appropriate format to ensure that you engage the African Union
constructively in your specific role.
If you have any questions please contact directly PAPS Digitial Support Officer at
abrahamk@africa-union.org
COMMENTS
PDF Version
Related Documents
We couldn't find document for this item
Twitter Feed
Tweets by AUC_PAPS
On the same topic
Sorry we couldn't find items on the same topic
Also happening in this region
Sorry we couldn't find items in the same area
X
Subscribe to our Newsletter
Subscribe to our mailing list to get PSD updates directly to your inbox.
You can also have a direct chat with PSD officers on our Knowledge Products and Services [Check the box on the lower right corner of your screen]