Algeria and Libya compete for North Africa's seat on AU Peace and Security Council

The Executive Council of the African Union will convene for an extraordinary session this Tuesday, April 15, with the election of a new member to the Peace and Security Council (PSC) representing the North African group on the agenda.

The seat is being contested by Algeria and Libya. Notably, Algeria failed to secure the required two-thirds majority last February to rejoin the PSC for a three-year term from 2025 to 2028.

In preparation for the vote, Algerian Foreign Minister Ahmed Attaf has been in Ethiopia since Saturday. He is accompanied by Salma Mansouri, who is holding a series of meetings at AU headquarters in Addis Ababa. Although recently appointed First Vice President of the African Union Commission, Mansouri is acting in her capacity as Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs in charge of African affairs.

The AU’s Peace and Security Council, made up of 15 members elected for two- and three-year terms, plays a central role in managing crises across the continent.