Sierra Leone Pushes for $1 Billion Peace Fund at AU Executive Council
Sia Lucy Kannah Sierra Leone has called on the African Union (AU) to overhaul its financial architecture by transitioning to a unified programme-based budget and establishing a $1 billion endowment for the AU Peace Fund.
Delivering the country’s position statement at the 27th Extraordinary Session of the AU Executive Council, the Sierra Leonean delegation outlined a series of fiscal and institutional reforms aimed at securing predictable funding and strengthening accountability across the continental body.
Budget Reform and the 0.2 Percent Levy: To improve the effectiveness of AU programmes, Sierra Leone recommended anchoring the Union’s unified programme-based budget within a medium-term expenditure framework.
Addressing the financing of the Union, the delegation urged the Executive Council to enforce stricter compliance and transparency measures among Member States, specifically proposing to: Establish a firm timeline for all Member States to implement the 0.2 percent import levy.
Mandate annual public reporting by Member States regarding their contributions, and Index the contribution ceiling to inflation to ensure the real value of funding is preserved over time.
On continental security financing, Sierra Leone advocated for making the AU Peace Fund fully operational. The delegation proposed scaling the Fund into a US$1 billion endowment backed by a dedicated replenishment mechanism, a move designed to reduce the Union’s reliance on interest earnings alone.
Furthermore, Sierra Leone emphasized that smaller and post-conflict economies must be actively included as partners in the capital mobilisation process. Reaffirming its own commitment, the delegation stated that Sierra Leone remains ready to contribute to the reform process and uphold the same standards of transparency, accountability, and fiscal responsibility it expects from fellow Member States.
Convened under the theme “Towards a Financially Sustainable and Self-Reliant African Union: Advancing African Ownership, Accountability and Institutional Effectiveness,” the extraordinary session brought together foreign affairs and finance ministers from across the continent, alongside the leadership of the African Union Commission and representatives of AU organs. Deliberations centered on achieving long-term financial independence for AU programmes and peace operations.
Sierra Leone’s delegation was led by Alan C.E. Logan, Director General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation. He was accompanied by: Mohamed Hassan Kaisamba, Sierra Leone’s High Commissioner to Ghana, Numeh Sesay, Deputy Director for Africa Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, and Samuel Lanford, First Secretary at the Sierra Leone High Commission in Accra.