Nigeria Urges AU to Prevent Mercenary Incursion into Africa

• President Tinubu urged the AUPSC to establish a maritime task force to enhance security in the Gulf of Guinea, offering to host its headquarters in Lagos

• Nigeria signed an agreement with the AU to provide strategic sea lift services for peace support, disaster relief, and humanitarian efforts

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has urged the African Union Peace and Security Council (AUPSC) to prioritize establishing a combined maritime task force to boost security in the Gulf of Guinea.

Speaking at the 38th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the African Union (AU) Heads of State and Government in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on Sunday, Tinubu expressed Nigeria’s readiness to host the task force’s headquarters in Lagos.

He also called on the AU to curb the increasing involvement of “extra-continental forces, including private military companies, in African security matters.”

Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar, conveyed Tinubu’s stance as the AU reviewed the AUPSC report on Africa’s peace and security and the biennial report on implementing the Master Roadmap of Practical Steps to Silence the Guns in Africa (2023-2024).

On the same day, Nigeria signed an agreement with the AU to provide Strategic Sea Lift Services for AU peace support operations, disaster relief, humanitarian efforts, and personnel transport.

Nigeria’s Defence Minister, Badaru Abubakar, signed the agreement, stating that the Nigerian Navy would supply a vessel for operations on a cost-recovery basis.

Attorney-General and Justice Minister Lateef Fagbemi, Foreign Affairs Minister Yusuf Tuggar, Naval Chief Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ikechukwu Ogalla, and Director-General of the Nigerian Intelligence Agency, Ambassador Muhammed Muhammed, witnessed the signing. AU Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace, and Security, Ambassador Bankole Adeoye, signed on behalf of the AU.

President Tinubu welcomed the AUPSC’s decision to upgrade Nigeria’s National Counter-Terrorism Centre to a Regional Counter-Terrorism Centre. He also praised renewing the Multinational Joint Taskforce’s mandate to tackle terrorism and violent extremism in the Lake Chad region.

Expressing concern over Libya’s instability, Tinubu urged the AU to support initiatives to restore law and order, emphasizing that peace in the Sahel is tied to Libya’s stability.

He also highlighted security concerns in countries undergoing democratic transitions, including Sudan, Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, South Sudan, and Gabon.

Tinubu suggested exploring the benefits of UN Security Council Resolution 2719 to support AU Peace Support Operations. He stressed the need to prevent external forces, including private military groups, from interfering in Africa’s security affairs.

The President welcomed progress in operationalizing the African Standby Force and reiterated Nigeria’s commitment to the initiative. He urged AU member states to show flexibility in adopting the draft MoU for its implementation.