African Peace and Security Architecture

In this chapter, I argue that a better and clear comprehension on the characteristics, causes and consequences of African conflicts, are a necessary condition for an effective understanding on current and future dynamics of South Atlantic security. Any possibility of South Atlantic regional maritime governance has its odds shaken by the recurrence and scale of the wars in Africa. Moreover, what is most striking, the blurred view of African conflicts, their political, institutional and regional basis, are a basic cause for the incomprehension of their systemic causes and for bringing about more sustainable responses, in land or sea. In order to contribute to overcoming this challenge, I tried to organize the secondary literature that approaches Africa wars and contrast them with the empirical research I have produced in the last eleven years. This includes assessment of documents and databases obtained in Brazil and in field research in southern Africa (South Africa, Mozambique and Zimbabwe) in two occasions, in 2011 and 2013. Based on this theoretical and empirical research, I sustain, in opposition to many popular accounts, that the prevailing wars on the African continent and its notorious complexity and irregularity constitute a security triad. This triad involves, in a relatively integrated way, the increasingly significant presence of irregular groups and non-state actors in armed conflicts; the permanence of proxy warfare and significant inter-state rivalries; and regionalized conflicts capable of articulating regional systems. Their more systemic causes and effects are related to the process of state-building in the continent and its interaction with regional transformations and extra-regional penetration, and more effective responses need to be related to state self-strengthening reforms and regional involvement. Such understanding can bring important lessons for the maritime security of the African Atlantic coast, particularly in understanding the central roles of African regional organizations (ECOWAS, SADC, GGC).

Face à une Architecture africaine de paix et de sécurité
(APSA), en proie à des défis politiques et opérationnels persistant, les Etats cherchent le bon périmètre d’action face à des menaces à géographie variable sachant que le développement des coalitions ad
hoc fragilise davantage la relation Union africaine (UA)/Communautés économiques régionales (CERs)

With the African Peace and Security Architecture (APSA) beset by persistent political and operational challenges, AU member states seek the proper scope of action to counter a variety of threats – knowing that ad hoc coalitions weaken the African Union-Regional Economic Communities (RECs) relationship.

This handbook offers a critical assessment of the African agenda for conflict prevention, peacemaking, peacekeeping, and peacebuilding; the challenges and opportunities facing Africa’s regional organisations in their efforts towards building sustainable peace on the continent; and the role of external actors, including the United Nations, Britain, France, and South Asian troop-contributing countries. In so doing, it revisits the late Ali Mazrui’s concept of Pax Africana, calling on Africans to take responsibility for peace and security on their own continent. The creation of the African Union, in 2002, was an important step towards realising this ambition, and has led to the development of a new continental architecture for more robust conflict management. But, as the volume’s authors show, the quest for Pax Africana faces challenges. Combining thematic analyses and case studies, this book will be of interest to both scholars and policymakers working on peace, security, and governance issues in Africa.

This article argues for a shift in researching African interventions: from a top-down study of African regional norms and institutions towards a view ‘from below’ on the actual practices of intervention and how they play out on the ground. Such a view is important in order to understand the contested politics of African interventions as well as disconnects between grand regional architectures and their imprints on the ground. In doing so, this article also seeks to link research on African interventions to the academic debate on peacebuilding and peacemaking interventions more generally. While this literature has increasingly taken the ‘local’ into account, such a localisation in terms of researching African interventions has yet to take place. This article suggests three dimensions in which a view ‘from below’ could be translated into the research agenda on African interventions.

L’Architecture africaine de paix et de sécurité - plus connue sous l’acronyme anglais APSA - est élaborée en 2002 dans la continuité des mécanismes de l’Organisation de l’unité africaine (OUA). Son objectif est de doter l’Union africaine (UA) d’organes politiques et d’outils opérationnels pour prévenir et gérer les conflits sur le continent. Si l’intérêt porté aux questions de paix et de sécurité par les États africains n’a cessé de croitre ces cinq dernières décennies, la question de l’opérationnalisation de l’APSA en tant dispositif sécuritaire efficace et autonome se pose encore en 2017.

Since its creation, the African Peace and Security Architecture (APSA) has faced a threefold challenge: the need to develop effective institutional mechanisms that are able to respond to Africa’s multiple security challenges; the need for adequate resources to fund these mechanisms and their ever-expanding mandate; and the challenges of coordination of its action at the regional level (with and through the various Regional Economic Communities [RECs])), with the United Nations and with external actors. [...]

Why is Africa the foremost continent and most affected by terrorism? The paradigm illustration to this plight has to do with how the world takes the African continent and how we ourselves portray it when engaging with other continents. The continent of Africa is perceived and seems to be the most blessed continent with regards to the natural endowment of natural and human resources. When the world needs to tap naturals resources for the advancement of human development, Africa is always the harvesting location and people in the continent are not fully recognized as those who knows the value of these and ends up been slaves to other people indirectly and all these does not bring good development to the continent while others are still wallowing in deep survival series. For a moment, where did terrorism emanated from? The answer each one of us may have to that question can be the root password to realizing where things had gone wrong and how best possible we can together as a continent work towards abolishing it accordingly. For a quick fact, about all generations of African children experience either an act or full swing of terrorism experience and according to Professor " Hussein Solomon " of University of Free State, South Africa that in a day; there is always at least three incidence of terrorist experiences and acts in the continent which actually depicts that as far as security is concerned in Africa: we are still not safe and anything can just happen at anytime despite we have many counter-terrorist entities even the AU and the likes who has for over a decade formulated policies on how to tackle and abolish terrorism in the continent does not bear much significant fruits but are we going to remain just complacent in that respect? No, it is all African countries battle and it begins with each family reorientation and national framework on governing and protecting its people. It is a good statement that even as of now in Africa, we still have some regions and countries which are still peaceful and good places to live in; but we can be so complacent that we have no problem as our fellow African brother has so we wish them quick recovery and we implore the western powers to aid here in Africa. That will never bear any good result! Actually I want to put across this proverb that I normally tell people from time to time though a self made proverb that " African problems does not understand western language or solution offered; but rather the solution to the African problems are within the African people here in Africa ". This statement does not mean that we do not need external supports, but to realize peace in this continent we have to fight it more ourselves on the various means we as Africans know that can bring peace and permanent understanding.

This article examines the efficacy of the indigenous approach to peacebuilding in Africa. Although Africa is blessed with natural mineral resources, including gold, diamond, manganese and bauxite, the continent is bedeviled with challenges, including rampant civil war, ethnic violence and frequent political uprisings. Thus, almost all the countries in Africa have experienced some form of unrest, partly caused by the colonial legacy of divide and rule, imperialism, genocide and racism among others, which has claimed numerous lives and destroyed many properties. In an effort to build a sustainable peace in Africa, the international community via the Euro-U.S. Centric Colonial White Dominate Approach (EUCCWDA) to peacebuilding is used in countries recovering from war-devastations. However, the review of secondary data, including journals, articles, books etc. revealed that, the EUCCWDA to peacebuilding has not achieved its purpose. Instead, the relegated indigenous peacebuilding approach has attained some level of peace in war-torn countries. It is recommended that, for a sustainable peace to be seen, leaders of African countries should establish a legal framework regarding indigenous peacebuilding.

From Hollywood films to some Chinese popular perceptions of their Eastern neighbors, piracy and pirates retain a powerful hold in contemporary culture. However, it is their most recent incarnation in areas like the Gulf of Guinea, the Malacca Straits, and the Horn of Africa, that is carefully followed by anybody involved in maritime affairs, from ship owners and operators to naval officers and international lawyers. Among other aspects of piracy, the legal regime of pirates and operations against them is of the foremost importance, and therefore any volume devoted to them deserves a careful look.

India is among the largest and most consistent troop contributors to United Nations (UN) peacekeeping in Africa, where the majority of its blue helmets are deployed. This engagement with African peace and security has been driven by both principles and interests including India's bid for permanent membership of the UN Security Council and Africa's growing importance to it. However, India's peacekeeping role faces challenges related to the changing nature of the peacekeeping enterprise itself and the context in which it operates, as well as Africa's own efforts to provide security on the continent. These raise hard questions for New Delhi. Is the Indian endeavour more than an aspect of its UN diplomacy? Could it evolve to become a more integral part of India's Africa policy?

L`Harmattan - Paris ; LOOKING FOR  SPONSORS for the English translation of this book

"2013
commander le livre : info@europavarietas.org
sur le site de l`Harmattan : http://www.editions-harmattan.fr/index.asp?navig=catalogue&obj=livre&no=41212&razSqlClone=1

Ce deuxième ouvrage de l'auteur concernant la politique étrangère et de défense de l’Union européenne étudie l’évolution des missions et opérations de la PESD/PSDC en Afrique, dans le concert de la diplomatie européenne et l'activité des organisations internationales et des différents acteurs. L'approche régionale nous aide à comprendre la complexité des enjeux et des défis, la structure des conflits, et à analyser les interactions transfrontalières.
Les premières missions et opérations sont l’expression concrète de la volonté de l’Union d’agir. Agir pour promouvoir la paix et la stabilité, agir pour contribuer à la prévention et à la résolution de conflits. Mais, est-ce que les missions européennes strictement limitées dans l'espace et dans le temps sont capables de contribuer à la stabilisation en Afrique?
Le contient africain au cœur des intérêts des grandes puissances surtout à cause des matières premières stratégiques, le terrorisme international, la piraterie et de plus en plus pour la migration et la fuite des cerveaux. L’intérêt de l’Union européenne est garantir sa propre sécurité et ses besoins et qu’elle soit un partenaire fiable des pays et organisations africains. L’Afrique a besoin des aides et des subventions, plusieurs États sont incapables de garantir leur propre sécurité. La géopolitique en Afrique a une priorité absolue.
La question principale à laquelle l‘auteur cherche la réponse, c’est dans quelle mesure l’Union peut-elle devenir un acteur international. Comment l’Union peut-elle transformer sa puissance économique en une puissance politique dans le système international du XXIème siècle. Comment concevons nous la coopération entre les institutions de l’Union européenne et celles de l’Union africaine et de l'OTAN ?

Ancien visiting fellow de l’EUISS et de la Commission de Défense de l’Assemblée de l’UEO, András István Türke est docteur de Paris III-Sorbonne Nouvelle. Il a effectué sa thèse sur l’évolution de la défense européenne et travaille aujourd’hui comme consultant pour les questions internationales et de défense. Il est chercheur associé de plusieurs instituts de recherche en France en Hongrie et en Suisse.

256 p.

TABLES DES MATIERES

CHAPITRE I. Les enjeux et les défis européens en Afrique
/Néocolonisation ou nouvelles stratégies pour une présence en Afrique ?/

CHAPITRE II. Les missions de l’Union européenne en République Démocratique du Congo

CHAPITRE III. L’Union européenne et la crise du Darfour
/Les missions de l’Union européenne au Soudan, au Tchad et dans la République centrafricaine/

CHAPITRE IV. La réforme du secteur de sécurité en Guinée-Bissau

CHAPITRE V. L'Union européenne, la PSDC et la crise en Libye
/EUFOR Libye : « L'opération fantomisée de la légion invisible? »/

CHAPITRE VI. Somalia, East Africa and the EU: Geopolitics, drivers and “comprehensive” engagement
(András Hettyey)

Conclusion générale
Bibliographie

Europa Varietas Institute - http://www.europavarietas.org
András István Türke - http://andrasistvanturke.blogspot.ch"

Angola’s involvement in the African Peace and Security Architecture, within the current sub-Saharan context, stands as an example of the search for strategic affirmation by a rising regional power. Through a participatory, influential and committed foreign policy, Angola invests in a strategic balance in which the national Armed Forces are an instrument of military cooperation and conflict resolution in Angola’s area of interest. 
This article seeks to demystify that paradigm and reflect upon Angola’s potential interests behind its participation in the African Peace and Security Architecture, which constitutes a framework for the development and affirmation of military capabilities and thus for using the Armed Forces as a regional and continental assertion mechanism for Angola’s Foreign Policy.  Such dynamics are all the more relevant in a context where Luanda holds a non-permanent seat in the United Nations Security Council in the United Nations.

There is a healthy debate currently taking place surrounding the use of drone warfare as the primary tactic for combatting terrorist groups and their insurgent activities. Recently there has been significant academic energy being focused on this issue, especially as it relates to US operations in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Several studies have been conducted with results both supporting and questioning the overall ability of drone strikes to degrade the operational effectiveness of the organizations being targeted. This study seeks to contribute to the discussion by applying established analytical models for assessing the impact of US drone warfare in areas beyond Afghanistan and Pakistan, mainly in Africa. The goal is to further examine the questions surrounding the efficacy of US drone tactics in areas which are becoming increasingly central to the general prosecution of the War on Terror. Broadening the dialogue may also uncover important contextual variables which are hidden in the single-case examinations done so far.

Can there be regional integration if there is no peace and stability? Professor Victor Adetula gives a detailed overview of the steps taken by various (sub-)regional organization on the continent to tackle the security concerns of African states. The author evaluates the performance of various African organizations and explores avenues for future research to investigate the link between security and development.