Uganda calls for predictable AU-UN peace operation funding

Uganda’s Permanent Representative to the African Union, Ambassador Rebecca Amuge Otengo, has urged the international community to establish a predictable and balanced financial burden-sharing partnership for peace operations. Speaking at a high-level strategic review of AU and UN peace operations, Otengo emphasized the need to move away from ad-hoc security cooperation toward more structured frameworks.

Otengo advocated for institutionalizing joint AU-UN cooperation throughout the entire planning cycle, including shared crisis analysis, situational awareness, and coordinated planning. She noted that mission mandates must align with available resources while remaining flexible enough to adapt to evolving security conditions. To ensure success, she highlighted the need for integrated capabilities such as strategic mobility, advanced logistics, aviation assets, and intelligence infrastructure.

Drawing on lessons from African-led operations in Somalia—including AMISOM, ATMIS, and the newly established AUSSOM—Otengo pointed to UN Security Council Resolution 2719 (2023) as a vital mechanism for building sustainable partnerships. She also warned that discrepancies between AU and UN budget cycles and deployment timelines can threaten the timely availability of resources, calling for stronger resource mobilization and continued support for the AU Peace Fund.