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African Union Department of Political Affairs, Peace and Security signs landmark MoU with the Regional Faith Women Mediation Network
On 23 June 2026, the Regional Faith Women Mediation Network (REFWOMEN) reached a milestone three years in the making. In Addis Ababa, FECCLAHA, on behalf of REFWOMEN, signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the African Union Department of Political Affairs, Peace and Security, under the leadership of H.E. Amb. Bankole Adeoye, Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security and on behalf of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission, H.E. Mahmoud Ali Youssef.
The signing marked the culmination of sustained advocacy, dialogue and relationship-building that began in 2023 through engagement with Amb. Adeoye and his department. Over the past three years, REFWOMEN has consistently made the case that women of faith are not only sustaining peace within their communities but should also have a recognised voice and role within regional peace and security structures.
For REFWOMEN, FECCLAHA and Norwegian Church Aid Advocacy Programme Africa, this was a deeply proud moment. It affirmed the value of patient and persistent advocacy and demonstrated what can be achieved when women remain clear about the change they want to see, build trusted relationships and continue showing up in the spaces where peace and security decisions are made.
Established under FECCLAHA, REFWOMEN brings together women of faith mediators and faith-based organisations from the Great Lakes, the Horn of Africa and beyond. Its strength lies in the experience of women already working in communities affected by conflict, where they facilitate dialogue, rebuild trust, support reconciliation and accompany people through some of their most difficult moments.
These women bring more than technical expertise. They bring lived experience, deep community relationships and the trust of people whom formal institutions may struggle to reach. Their leadership is rooted in everyday realities, where peace is not only discussed through policies and frameworks, but patiently built through relationships, dialogue and the steady work of holding communities together.
By signing the MoU on behalf of REFWOMEN, FECCLAHA has helped formalise a partnership that connects this community-rooted leadership with the African Union’s continental mandate, policy frameworks and convening power. The agreement creates a stronger bridge between regional peace and security priorities and the women who are already translating those priorities into action at community level.
Under the MoU, REFWOMEN and the African Union will collaborate to strengthen the participation of women and other underrepresented groups in peace processes. The partnership will also support capacity-building in conflict-affected communities, reconciliation and trauma healing, and wider awareness and use of African Union peace and security frameworks.
For REFWOMEN, this creates an important opportunity to bring the experiences and perspectives of communities into continental spaces, while making African Union commitments more accessible and relevant to local peace actors. It offers a practical pathway for advancing Agenda 2063 and the Women, Peace and Security agenda at community, national and regional levels.
The signing also recognised the distinctive contribution that women of faith bring to peacebuilding. In many communities, faith actors are among the most trusted and accessible leaders. They are often present before conflict begins, remain through periods of crisis and continue accompanying communities long after formal interventions have ended.
Through its partnership with REFWOMEN, the African Union is recognising a form of leadership that is sometimes overlooked but remains essential to lasting peace. Women of faith are not only responding to conflict; they are preventing violence, creating safe spaces for dialogue, mentoring younger women and helping communities heal, rebuild relationships and address the deeper causes of division.
During the ceremony, Amb. Adeoye reflected on the deeper meaning of peace, recalling a biblical understanding of peace as “that which surpasses all understanding.” His reflection resonated strongly with the women of REFWOMEN, whose work is shaped not only by mediation skills, but also by faith, moral conviction and a deep commitment to human dignity.
The ceremony reinforced a principle that has guided REFWOMEN from the beginning: lasting peace must be nurtured within communities, strengthened by national systems and sustained through regional solidarity. The MoU gives the network a stronger platform to connect these levels and ensure that the voices of women closest to conflict are heard within wider peace processes.
A Joint Action Plan will now move the partnership from commitment to implementation. It will support mediation, dialogue and reconciliation initiatives, trauma healing and psychosocial support, mentorship for young women leaders, violence prevention and efforts to address the underlying causes of conflict.
This milestone is both a celebration as it reflects three years of determined advocacy and confirms that the leadership of women of faith is gaining the recognition it deserves. Most importantly, it opens new possibilities for these women to influence peacebuilding across Africa, not from the margins, but as recognised partners in shaping the continent’s future.
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