Uganda Calls for Predictable Funding, Stronger AU-UN Partnership in Peace Operations

Uganda has called for predictable and sustainable financing, coordinated planning and stronger cooperation between the African Union (AU) and the United Nations (UN) to strengthen peace support operations and promote long-term stability across Africa. The call was made by Uganda’s Permanent Representative to the African Union, Ambassador Rebecca Amuge Otengo, during a high-level strategic review of AU and UN peace operations, where she urged the international community to move beyond ad-hoc security cooperation towards a structured financial burden-sharing partnership.

Ambassador Otengo highlighted UN Security Council Resolution 2719 (2023) as a key mechanism for establishing a predictable and sustainable framework for financing African Union-led peace support operations. She stressed that effective peace operations require institutionalised AU-UN cooperation throughout the planning process, including joint crisis assessments, shared situational awareness and coordinated operational strategies.

“Future operations must be guided by clear political strategies, with achievable objectives, measurable benchmarks, and realistic transition arrangements,” Ambassador Otengo said. She added that mission mandates must be aligned with available resources while remaining flexible enough to respond to changing security conditions.

Somalia offers lessons for African-led peace operations The Ugandan envoy pointed to the experiences of the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) and the newly established African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM) as important sources of lessons for implementing Resolution 2719.

According to Ambassador Otengo, these operations demonstrate the value of African-led peace initiatives while highlighting the need for reliable financing and coherent transition planning. She emphasised that critical operational capabilities must be integrated into mission planning from the outset to improve effectiveness and ensure the safety and sustainability of deployed forces.

These include strategic mobility and advanced logistics, aviation assets, rapid medical evacuation, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance infrastructure, reliable communications networks and adequate support to sustain forces in the field. AMB OTENGO DELIVERS UGANDA STATEMENT AT JOINT AU-UN MEETING Uganda raises concerns over financing gaps Ambassador Otengo identified differences between AU and UN budget cycles, conflicting approval procedures and mismatched deployment timelines as structural challenges that can delay the availability of resources for peace operations.

To address these obstacles, Uganda called for enhanced resource mobilisation, diversified financing arrangements and continued contributions to the AU Peace Fund. The envoy reaffirmed that African countries are strengthening their ownership of continental peace and security initiatives through the Peace Fund, but maintained that international partners also have a responsibility to support peace efforts across the continent.

She argued that sustainable peace operations require a shared commitment that goes beyond the adoption of institutional frameworks to ensuring that missions have the resources needed to carry out their mandates. Uganda urges action beyond agreements Ambassador Otengo said the success of the AU-UN partnership would ultimately depend on the ability of both institutions and their international partners to ensure that peace operations are adequately funded, deployed on time and sustained throughout their mandates.

“The success of this strategic partnership will ultimately be measured not by frameworks adopted, but by our collective ability to authorize the deployment of predictably, adequately, and sustainably financed peace operations that protect civilians, support political solutions, and contribute to lasting peace,” she said.

Uganda’s position underscores the importance of aligning political objectives, operational planning and financing arrangements as African countries and international partners seek more sustainable approaches to addressing conflicts and insecurity across the continent. The AU Peace and Security Council, of which Uganda is currently a member, is the continental body's standing decision-making organ for the prevention, management and resolution of conflicts.