Addis Ababa, October 30, 2026 – The Permanent Representation of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to the African Union (AU) actively participated in the 8th Meeting of the AU Steering Committee on Security Sector Reform (SSR) in Africa, held on October 30, 2026.

This key meeting focused on reviewing the progress made by Member States and evaluating the AU’s strategic support for security sector reform processes across the continent. At the outset of the proceedings, the Committee unanimously adopted the report of its 7th meeting.

During the deliberations, the Steering Committee highlighted the successful initiatives led jointly with ECOWAS. Particular emphasis was placed on the success of the recent capacity-building workshops for parliamentarians, successfully held in June 2026 in Dakar (Senegal) and in October 2026 in Bo (Sierra Leone).

Speaking on these core issues, the Permanent Representative of ECOWAS to the African Union shared vital strategic insights. He strongly urged the Steering Committee to ensure, with the utmost rigor, that the concept and implementation of security sector reform remain constructive and inclusive. The Ambassador emphasized that SSR must under no circumstances be perceived or weaponized as a settling of scores to the detriment of any party.

The agenda of this 8th session also covered other essential pillars of the continental peace and security architecture, including: The popularization of the Operational Guidance Note (OGN) on Oversight and Accountability; The finalization and dissemination of the Operational Guidance Note on Mediation and Security Sector Reform; The rigorous follow-up on the recommendations from the 4th African Forum on Security Sector Reform, held in November 2025 in Addis Ababa.