Brussels 13.08.2025 The African Union (AU) is dealing with internal tensions as the race to replace the outgoing Director of Conflict Management within the Department of Political Affairs, Peace, and Security approaches climax.

The African Union faces internal tensions as regional blocs compete to appoint the next Director of Conflict Management. With crises in Sudan, Somalia, and the Sahel, leadership is crucial. Who will take the helm?

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The incumbent director, Dr. Alhaji Sarjoh Bah, whose term ends next month, has overseen a period defined by high-profile mediation efforts and crisis responses across the continent, mainly focusing on Sudan, Somalia, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The vacancy attracted three leading candidates, each of them with a strong support among AU member states.

According to diplomatic sources the competition has triggered some political maneuvering within the AU officies in Addis Ababa, with certain regional blocs intensly lobbying for their preferred contestants. The East African bloc is reportedly backing a conflict resolution expert from Kenya, while West Africa is pushing for a former ECOWAS mediator, and South Africa is promoting a high-ranking official from the SADC Secretariat.

The Director of Conflict Management is a strategic role within the AU structure, overseeing early warning systems, mediation missions, and coordination with regional bodies on peace and security matters. Whoever assumes the role will inherit a responsible mission amid ongoing crises in the Sahel, renewed tensions in the Horn of Africa, and post-conflict stabilization challenges in Libya.

AU insiders warn that prolonged political competition could delay the appointment, potentially weakening the organization’s ability to respond rapidly to emerging crises.

The final decision will be made by the AU Commission Chairperson in consultation with member states, and an announcement expected before the next African Union Peace and Security Council session in September.

The UN and the European Union are the African bloc’s biggest partners, and the EU is the largest contributor to the AU’s budget, contributing substantially. Funding is a major issue shaping the continental body’s external relations and often results in collaborations driven more by partners’ priorities than Africa’s.

The AU still relies on the EU support, receiveing more than half of its annual budget from Europe. In 2023 the AU’s partners, the EU and European member states, were providing $370 million of the total AU budget of $605 million. Of this, $208,4 million was for the AU’s programmes and $161,6 million for peace support operations. The EU’s funding to the AU is part of a wider partnership between the EU and Africa to promote peace, security and economic development on the continent.