Peace keeping operations in Africa: Reflections on the APSA and strategic partnerships
1. Peace keeping operations in Africa
Reflections on the APSA and strategic partnerships
Volker Hauck, ECDPM
P&S Conference - Abuja, 31 October 2017
2. Content / outline here
1. Key issues and contemporary discussions on peace
operations in Africa
2. Looking beyond peace keeping operations – conflict
management under the APSA
3. Strategic partnerships in support of peace operations
4. Improving support to peace operations and conflict
management
2
3. 1. Key issues and contemporary discussion on
peace operations in Africa
3
9. Combination of AU and REC/RM interventions
(2013-2015)
9
• AU & REC/RM
combine
interventions
in 67% cases
(average
2013-2015)
Diplomatic efforts; mediation; peace support operations
10. AU and REC/RM engagements in mediation
efforts (2013-2015)
10
• AU &
REC/RM
joint
engagement
in mediation
efforts: 48%
(average
2013-2015)
11. AU/REC involvement in peace agreements
(2013-2015)
• On average,
AU/REC were
involved in
73% of
processes
leading to the
signing of
peace
agreements
11
12. Some insights on subsidiarity ... a pragmatic
perspective
• “All actors responding to a conflict need to ensure
close and regular communication to enable
assessments of comparative advantage, deployed
capabilities and available resources, as well as
efficiency and legitimacy.”
Michelle Ndiaye,
Director of the Africa Peace and Security Programme,
Institute for Peace and Security Studies, Addis Ababa and
Head of Secretariat of the Tana High-level Forum
on Security in Africa.
Source:C.DeConingetal.2015.TheFutureofAfricanPeace
Operations.NordicAfricaInstitute
12
15. Towards an interest-based partnerships ...
• Despite intense policy reforms, AU can’t do all on its own
=> Strategic partnerships will remain relevant
• Cooperation and division of labour between African and
external actors will remain crucial to sustain and improve
peace operations in the foreseeable future (=> funding;
specialised capabilities; technical advice; support to
institutional reform)
• Various forms of cooperation between different actors,
multilateral, regional, bilateral, national, civil society will
be needed ... and need to be managed (!)
• Strategic partners: UN; NATO; EU and selected EU
Member States; new powers, e.g. China, India, etc. – but
are all 40+ APSA supporters strategic => ?
15
16. Reinforcing policy coherence and operational
complementarity
16
UN
AUEU
Funding & political dialogue
Transition of peace
operations &
complementarity
Policy coherence &
joint engagement
17. 4. Improving support to peace operations &
conflict management:
What the AU-EU partnership should pay
attention to
17
18. Supporting African capacities in PSOs
Civilian
capacities
* DDR; SSR;
border control;
rule of law;
socio-economic
development
Military
capabilities
* Logistics;
equipment;
force
protection;
communication
Rapid
deployment
capabilities
* Training for
military, police,
civilian
personnel
18
A global-regional partnership – under African lead
19. Four “undervalued” domains ...
Mission support
Civilian components
Conflict management
capacities
Institutional cooperation
19
20. Mission support
• Investments needed in:
• Planning
• Management
• Procurement
• Communication
• Institutional strengthening at
AU & REC levels
• Need for harmonising
standards and equipment
20
One of the weakest
and most neglected
domains
21. Civilian & police dimensions
• Protection of civilians
• Human rights
• Intern. humanitarian law
• Gender, sexual abuse
• Stabilisation
• Security & governance
• Institution building
• Humanitarian Support
• Civilian-military
coordination
• Security of IDPs & refugees
21
Military dimensions
outweigh civilian &
police dimensions
22. Conflict management & post-conflict engagement
• Linkages early warning – early
response
• Mediation & conflict
prevention
• Complementarity between
support to civilian dimensions
& resilience/ development
• Post-conflict peace building/
rehabilitation & development
22
Particular attention
needed for the levels
of RECs & below
23. 23
Last but not least ...
Improve
institutional
cooperation &
working level
exchanges
More regular AU-EU high-level
exchanges
Joint high-level missions
Regular operational exchanges between
AU and EU Commission Departments
Joint (conflict) assessments & joint
evaluations
Work through partner platforms (AU-
EU-UN & other partners)
Sharing practical lessons & information
& implement these