Burkina Faso Applauds Morocco’s African Peace Council Leadership

Doha – Burkina Faso’s Foreign Minister Karamoko Jean-Marie Traoré has formally acknowledged Morocco’s diplomatic efforts as chair of the African Union Peace and Security Council (PSC-AU), following informal consultations with six African nations currently suspended from the continental organization.

In a letter addressed to Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita, Traoré specifically commended “the new leadership at the helm of the PSC” and praised Morocco’s approach, which he characterized as being “based on promoting constructive dialogue informed by realism and mutual listening.”

The acknowledgment follows Morocco’s initiative to convene informal consultations in Addis Ababa on Tuesday with representatives from Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, Gabon, Guinea, and Sudan.

These countries are currently suspended from the African Union following recent changes in their political leadership.

Held during Morocco’s March presidency of the PSC-AU, these consultations provided a platform for the ambassadors of the suspended countries to discuss their ongoing democratic transition processes.

The meeting was conducted in accordance with Article 8, Paragraph 11 of the PSC protocol, which permits informal consultations with parties involved in situations under the Council’s review – a mechanism previously underutilized in AU diplomacy.

The diplomatic gathering aimed to strengthen dialogue between countries in political transition and AU institutions, with the ultimate goal of facilitating their full reintegration into the continental organization.

The discussions explored areas of convergence and enhancing inter-African cooperation for sustainable peace and stability.

As part of the pan-African organization’s conflict resolution framework, the PSC has strengthened its preventive diplomacy through specialized networks such as PanWise, FemWise-Africa, and WiseYouth.

The latter, operational since October 2024, specifically focuses on integrating youth perspectives into peace processes.

The Council says it is currently working to enhance these instruments through increased financial and technical support, with the AU Commission tasked with allocating additional resources for crisis prevention rather than post-facto management.