The Peace and Security Council (PSC) has decided to scale up its efforts to find a solution to the dispute over the Western Sahara. Zimbabwe’s president Robert Mugabe, the new chairperson of the African Union (AU), has vowed to make it a priority this year.

The PSC discussed the situation in South Sudan following the breakdown of talks mediated by the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD). The fate of women and children in armed conflict was on the Agenda of the PSC on Monday 9 March, in line with the commemoration of international women’s day. The PSC is concerned about renewed violence in the Abyei region between Sudan and South Sudan. Recently, overt claims were made by Khartoum that Abyei belongs to Sudan.

Namibian ambassador Anne Namakau Mutela, Chairperson of the PSC for March 2015, talks about the recent field mission by the PSC and the European Union Political and Security Committee to Mali.

The publication of the PSC Report is made possible through the support of the Humanity United Foundation and the Hanns Seidel Stiftung. The Institute for Security Studies is also grateful for the support of the following members of the ISS Partnership Forum: the governments of Australia, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Japan, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and the USA.