Areas of Work: Operationalisation of the African peace and security architecture

Pax Africa seeks to accelerate operationalisation of key elements of the African peace and security architecture. In response to a request from the AU Peace Support Operations Division (PSOD), it will focus on the African Standby Force (ASF), especially the civilian component, and unpacking of the role of the ASF in PCRD. While the continent has made progress in the development of continental doctrine and regional brigades, progress has lagged behind with regard to the civilian component of the ASF. Experience on the continent indicates that this component will be critical to the long-term success of peace support operations and to the success of PCRD. In addition to supporting the ASF at continental level, Pax Africa seeks to strengthen the development of its constituent regional brigades, beginning with the SADC Brigade.

The APSA considers regional economic communities (RECs) as the building blocks of the African peace and security architecture. In order to play their envisaged role, the RECs, in particular their mechanisms for conflict prevention, management and resolution, require significant increases in capacity as well as improved coordination and harmonisation, both between RECs and with the AU. Pax Africa will begin with the SADC Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation (the Organ), in order to enhance its capacity to achieve the Strategic Indicative Plan of the Organ (SIPO) and the broader peace, security and development objectives of the region. This will entail support to SADC Member States as well as to the Organ itself.

Key activities include:

  1. Supporting the development of African concepts of DDRRR and examining the role of the ASF in the implementation of DDRRR in post-conflict situations;
  2. Supporting and enhancing the capacity of the Military Staff Committee (MSC) to oversee development of the ASF and to advise the AU on peace support operations;
  3. Supporting the engendering of the ASF;
  4. Facilitating coordination and harmonisation between RECs, the AU and the UNDPKO;
  5. Strengthening the capacity of the SADC Organ in terms of conflict prevention, management and resolution;
  6. Strengthening the engagement of member states with the SADC Secretariat and the SADC Organ.

Key documents:

  1. ASF policy framework
  2. ASF workshop reports/ other documents
  3. SADC Protocol on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation
  4. SIPO

Past activities and achievements:

  1. Participated in a workshop on the development of the ASF Rapid Deployment Capability in Addis Ababa in 2007.
  2. Provided support to the AU Peace Support Operations Division for the Workshop in September-October 2006 on the harmonisation of the African Standby Force workshop outputs.
  3. Offered expertise to the four meetings of the African Chiefs of Defence Staff that produced the Policy Framework for the African Standby Force (developed in 2003 and adopted in 2004).

 

[return to top]