African Union Reforms Fall Short as Collective Security Remains Elusive
The African Union started its peace and security system reforms ten years ago to enable African countries to handle conflicts independently without foreign assistance. The reforms aimed to enhance the African Peace and Security Architecture (APSA), which serves as a framework for continent-wide peacekeeping and conflict mediation and prevention efforts. The practical implementation of collective security remains challenging despite the existence of theoretical security frameworks.
Many African countries continue to seek external mediation for their conflicts while they show insufficient support for solutions that African leaders develop. The AU has established effective peace and security policy frameworks yet member states demonstrate reluctance to provide financial backing for collaborative programs. The AU lost power during critical situations because outside forces began to take control of the situation.
The support for the program started to decline before the new reforms were introduced. The United Nations started running peace missions in Mali and the Central African Republic during the 2010s which created a pattern that preferred international missions over African-led operations. The AU Peace and Security Council made decisions that decreased African peacekeeper deployments because member states became more cautious about upcoming peacekeeping operations. Afghanistan has only maintained peace support operations because of foreign funding to sustain its mission.
The East African Community and Southern African Development Community serve as examples of regional economic communities that use their own missions to address regional needs. The operation involves separate military forces that work independently in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo without any coordination efforts. The absence of effective coordination between regional organizations has reduced the chances of achieving a unified African solution for conflict resolution.
The absence of unified control between African states enables foreign powers to determine the outcomes of regional conflicts. The peace mediation activities in Sudan involve participants from African, Arab, European, and American diplomatic backgrounds. The African Union needs multiple political endorsements from member states because it still faces difficulties in achieving complete political support for enforcing peace treaties and making collective decisions.
The Sahel region shows the existing system weaknesses through its operations. The African Union and various regional groups have failed to establish effective operational coordination after multiple years of demonstrating commitment to combat violent extremism through international terrorist operations. The region’s countries formed their own military alliance and established defense forces to operate beyond the African Union framework.
The analysts believe that organizations need to establish additional components which should complement their existing rules and policies and institutional structures. The AU requires its member states to provide diplomatic and economic and military support. The African countries will maintain their need for international assistance with conflict resolution until their governments start to prioritize shared interests above their individual national priorities. African governments need to take part in joint security efforts to reach real progress which exceeds current safety measures.
The AU reform agenda has improved some systems through its reforms yet the organization still requires greater partnership between member states to establish enduring peace throughout Africa. The essential component that needs to be present is the backing from member states.