During the African Union (AU) Summit in Ethiopia Feb. 9, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi put forward a proposal to hold an African summit aimed at establishing a joint African military force to combat terrorism. “The most important challenges facing Africa the past year — during which Egypt chaired the AU — were the ongoing conflicts and the increasing dangers of terrorism and extremism, especially in the Sahel and the Horn of Africa, as well as the challenge of achieving stability,” Sisi said.
In February 2019, Egypt assumed the AU presidency for a year and then handed it over to South Africa this month.