President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi reaffirmed Egypt’s full commitment to strengthening the North Africa Regional Standby Capability, highlighting its role in advancing peace and security across the African continent. His remarks were delivered during the 7th Mid-Year Coordination Summit of the African Union, where he spoke in his capacity as Chair of the North Africa Regional Capability for 2024.
In his address, El-Sisi emphasized the growing need for a prepared and operational African Peace and Security Architecture, capable of addressing complex and evolving threats including armed conflicts, terrorism, transnational crime, and the impacts of climate change. He stressed that these challenges threaten the continent’s development and stability, and require collective action.
El-Sisi highlighted the importance of regional standby forces—particularly the North Africa capability, which Egypt currently leads—as essential components of the African Standby Force. These forces must be fully equipped, multi-dimensional, and operationally ready to deploy in support of peace efforts when called upon.
He outlined the progress achieved under Egypt’s leadership, including a comprehensive review of operational procedures, financial and administrative reforms, and the endorsement of a new activity roadmap by chiefs of staff and defense ministers during meetings held earlier this year in Cairo. El-Sisi also praised the execution of a field exercise in Algeria that helped synchronize the military, police, and civilian components of the North Africa standby force.
The president stressed the importance of coordination between the African Union Commission, regional blocs, and the five regional capabilities to ensure effective conflict prevention and response. He called for sustainable funding, particularly for capacity-building programs that enhance the readiness and operational efficiency of the regional forces.
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