At the 5th African Union Regional Knowledge Exchange High-Level Platform on the African Standby Force (ASF) on the sidelines of the 8th African Union (AU) Mid-Year Coordination Summit is taking place in New Alamein City, Egypt, H.E. Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, Chairperson of the AU Commission, @ymahmoudali, described the adoption of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the AU, Regional Economic Communities (RECs) & Regional Mechanisms (RMs) as a watershed moment in strengthening Africa’s collective peace & security architecture. He stressed that regional integration begins with peace, security & political stability, & called for the ASF to reflect the realities of today’s security environment. He underscored the importance of formally recognising & incorporating deployments undertaken by RECs within the ASF framework, while strengthening subsidiarity, interoperability, ownership & legitimacy. He also called for the standardisation of the interpretation & implementation of subsidiarity, systematic use of lessons learned, stronger resource mobilisation & continued efforts to operationalise the ASF. H.E. @parfait_onanga , Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General, welcomed the MOU as more than an administrative instrument, describing it as a framework capable of enabling a more coherent & effective use of the ASF. He stressed that Africa’s security challenges, including armed conflict, terrorism, violent extremism, unconstitutional changes of government & climate-related instability, are increasingly borderless & require rapid, effective, politically coherent & strategically coordinated responses. He emphasised that sustained political commitment by Member States remains the cornerstone of the ASF, including making military, police and civilian capabilities available when crises arise. He also highlighted the importance of predictable financing and noted that the MOU could help clarify modalities for implementing UN Security Council Resolution 2719, with AU-UN preparations continuing. The Chairperson of the Peace & Security Council for October, described the MOU as one of the most significant institutional developments in the evolution of the ASF since the establishment of the PSC. He underscored that the cost of inaction is greater than investment in prevention & called for timely, coherent & effective African-led responses that place the protection of civilians at the centre. He stressed that ASF readiness must be measured not only by troop numbers but by the competence, equipment and operational capacity of forces. Force generation, technical capabilities, financing, approval procedures & reporting timelines remain areas requiring further attention. He also highlighted the importance of the ASF strategic review in adapting the Force to asymmetric threats, terrorist networks and the growing use of technology. The Platform reaffirmed that the MOU provides a stronger foundation for coordination between continental & regional levels, while preserving the essential role of RECs & RMs. Speakers stressed that operationalising the ASF will require sustained political ownership, predictable & sufficient financing, capable & properly equipped personnel, & stronger AU-UN cooperation. The discussions further underscored that lasting peace requires addressing the root causes of conflict through inclusive governance, respect for constitutional order, human rights & sustainable development. The AU Commission reaffirmed its commitment to the new cooperation framework, the operationalisation of the ASF & the realisation of the objectives of Agenda 2063: towards a peaceful, secure, stable & prosperous Africa. Read @ au.int/en/pressreleases/2026… @AUC_PAPS @Bankole_Adeoye #AUMYCM