The African Union’s Peace and Security Council (PSC) meeting for its 1337th session to address continental issues.
This session is part of the broader Kwibuka 32 commemorations, which officially began yesterday, April 7. While the anniversary is a time for solemn reflection, the AU is using today’s meeting to shift from “remembrance” to “active prevention.”
The council is discussing the establishment of a Continental Research Centre on Hate Speech and Genocide Ideology. The goal is to track exclusionary narratives before they escalate into violence.
There is a strong push to improve the “cyber capabilities” of the Continental Early Warning System (CEWS) to monitor and counter hate speech on digital platforms.
Beyond the historical context of Rwanda, the PSC is highlighting “manifest atrocity risks” in Darfur, Sudan, and parts of the Eastern DRC, where ethnically motivated violence has seen a sharp uptick recently.
Notably, Somalia has just officially taken its seat on the PSC for the first time today (for the 2026–2028 term), adding a new voice to these critical security deliberations.
At the AU headquarters in Addis Ababa, the “Flame of Remembrance” was lit under the theme “Remember-Unite-Renew.” Leaders emphasized that “never again” must be more than a slogan, particularly as the continent grapples with new conflict settings that mirror the early warning signs seen in 1994.
It’s a heavy day for continental diplomacy, but the focus on institutionalizing the fight against hate speech suggests the AU is trying to be more proactive than in previous decades.
