AFRICAN APPROACH TO PEACE KEEPING OPERATIONS

PATRICK MALUKI UoN

INTRODUCTION
Peace keeping in Africa. 1956 UN Emergency Force (UNEFI) was deployed to resolve the Suez Canal crisis United Nations Operations in Congo in 1960.

OAU led peace keeping in Chad between 1979 and 1982. united Nations Angola verification missions (UNAVEM 1 & 11), The united Nations Operations in Mozambique (UNUMOZ) and the United Nations Transitional Assistance group in Namibia (UNTAG).

FAILED MISSIONS
United Nation operations in Somalia (UNSOM 1 & 11) United Nations Assistance mission for Rwanda (UNAMIR) are considered to have failed miserably.

While UNAMIR could not stop the 1983 genocide in Rwanda the UNOSOM 1 & 11 could not stop the failure of the Somali state.

IMPACT OF AFRICAN`S GEOPOLITICAL REALITIES TO PEACE SUPPORT OPERATIONS.

The Berlin conference of 1885 divided Africa into modern states imposing arbitrary boundaries that did not represent existing social, political and economic realities of the African societies. Unrelated and different people were arbitrary put together creating new national identities while breaking old but important traditional affinities. The colonial state never rested on social contract with the population as such it did not exist to provide services to the people.

INDEPENDED AFRICAN STATES

In the 1960s when the majority of African states gained independence the elites inherited states with weak political institutions. State institutions of these independent states were designed for exploitation and repression. They were also designed for domination and not legitimate as such the modern African state was a highly interventionist state.

INDEPENDED AFRICAN STATES Cont.

The task of national-building and state building simultaneously pre-occupied these newly independent states some threatening to tear apart along ethnic lines and others clamoring to be re-united with their kinsmen in other states. The situation was compounded by the organization of African Unitys (OAU) decision to accept the boundaries inherited by African states from the colonial authorities. This shattered dreams of right to self-determination by many African communities and the result has been recurring inter-state and intra-state conflicts.

IDEOLOGICAL APPRAOCHES
In Tanzania, Senegal, Zambia and Guinea political leaders pursued African socialism to achieve legitimacy In Mozambique, Angola and Ethiopia political leaders pursued scientific socialism to achieve legitimacy In Burkina Faso, Libya and Ghana political leaders pursued populism to achieve legitimacy In Ivory Coast, Kenya and Nigeria political leaders pursued state capitalism to achieve legitimacy.

STEPS TO GAIN LEGITIMACY

As a first step this included elimination of the opposition leaders. There were numerous political assassinations, which fueled ethnic feelings, and the African state got divided into several nations represented by tribes or clans. Step two was centralization of power. In most African states legislative assemblies were subordinated and judicial systems rendered insignificant by the executive arm of government. Step three was establishment of personal rule. Most independence heroes began to use physical coercion, to gain or remain in power, this encouraged factionalism. Step four was use of clienteles. To remain in power personal rulers needed more than coercion; they needed a loyal clique, which inadvertently benefited from state resources. What began as political favors ended up as grant state corruption to please the loyal clique.

END OF COLD WAR

When the cold war ended in 1989 Africa was suddenly left to fend for itself. But without external economic and political support the dictatorial regimes could not sustain the lifestyles to which they had become accustomed. Africa had lost its strategic importance to the west and a number of African states were engulfed in internal unrest and violent conflict.

POST COLD WAR SECURITY SITUATION

Generally the security situation in the continent was marked by: Collapse of state institutions as happened in Liberia, Somalia, Sierra Leone and democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Increase in communal conflicts arising mainly from inter group rivalry and collapse of the old patterns of relationships

Proliferation and stock piling of small arms and light weapons

Conflict over ownership, management and control of natural resources Rise in activities of terrorism, mercenaries warlords, militia groups and organized criminal groups New forms of security threat including money laundering, human trafficking, drugs and cyber-crimes.

THE OAU MECHANISM FOR CONFLICT PREVENTION, MANAGEMENT AND RESOLUTION.

29th Ordinary Session of Assembly of Heads of states and government in June 1993 in Cairo, Egypt created the OAU mechanism The primary objective of this mechanism was the anticipation and prevention of conflicts. Undertake peacekeeping and peace building functions to resolve the conflict. In such cases OAU civilian and military observer /monitoring missions were to be deployed.

THE AFRICAN UNION

OAU was converted into African Union (AU) by the 1999 Extraordinary Summit in Sirte Libya The elimination of conflicts in Africa was put as one of its main purposes. This function was to undertaken by the newly created 15-member AU Peace and Security Council (PSC)

THE AFRICAN UNION Cont.

The PSC is supported by : The African Standby force (to deal with peace keeping support operations) The Panel of the Wise The Continental Early Warning System (CEWS) And the Peace Fund (to garner necessary resources for the promotion of peace and security).

In 2001 an African regional workshop was held in Johannesburg-South Africa to reflect on findings of the 2000 Brahimi report. It was felt that the UN dominated by the Security Council and the Security Council dominated by the United States lacked the political commitment and will to meaningfully engage African conflicts.

AFRICAN STANDBY FORCE

AU summit of July 2003 in Maputo, Mozambique adopted decision Assembly /AU/REC/611 which authorized the establishment of the African standby force and the military staff committee. Regional and sub-regional organizations are to be strengthened to act as pillars of peacekeeping capacity building in Africa.

OPERATIONALIZATION OF THE AFRICAN STAND BY FORCE (ASF)

The ASF is intended to support peace processes and provide a holding intervention pending the deployment of a UN Security Council mandated peacekeeping force. Two phases of establishment
During phase 1: lasting up to June 2005 the AU would establish a strategic management capacity for the management of a regional observer mission co-deployed with UN missions. Similarly, the regional economic communities are to establish regional forces up to brigade level. During Phase 11: (1st May 2005 30th June 2010) AU should have developed the capacity to manage complex peacekeeping operations while the REC, continue to develop capacity to deploy regional peacekeeping force under Chapter VI, preventive missions as well as peace building missions.

REGIONAL BRIGADES
Five regional brigades corresponding to the African regional economic communities have been created.
The Eastern African standby brigade (EASBRIG) The Southern African standby Brigade (SASBRIG) The Western African Standby Brigade (WASBRIG) The Central African standby Brigade (EASBRIG) The Northern African standby Brigade (NASBRIG).

The regional brigades consists of standby multidisciplinary contingents with civilian and military components located in their countries of origin and ready for rapid deployment anywhere in Africa at appropriate notice.

ASF FORCE STRUCTURE

The ASF structures are informed by the following conflict scenarios: Scenario 1: here the force structure will involve simple AU/Regional advice to political mission such as the one mounted in ivory Coast in 2005 .In such case ASF deployment would be required within 30 days from AU mandate resolution. Scenario 2: Force will involve AU/regional observer mission codeployed with a UN mission e.g. the OAU /AU liaison mission in Ethiopia-Eritrea (UNMEE) or the Verification Monitoring Team (VMT) in the Sudan. In such a case ASF deployment is required within 30 days from an AU mandate resolution. Scenario 3: Force structure will involve stand-alone AU/Regional observer mission as the AU mission in Burundi (AMIB) or AU mission in Comoros (AMIC). ASF deployment is required within 30 days from AU mandate resolution.

ASF FORCE STRUCTURE Cont

Scenario 4: the force structure would involve AU/Regional peacekeeping force for chapter six and preventive deployment missions. Similarly the ASF deployment is required within 30 days from AU mandate resolution. Scenario 5: Force structure will involve AU peace keeping force e.g. for complex multi dimensional peace keeping missions including those with low-level spoilers. ASF complete deployment is required within 90 days from an AU mandate resolution but with a military component being able to deploy in 30 days. Scenario 6: Force structure will involve AU intervention force e.g. in genocide situations where the international community does not act promptly, AU should have the capability to deploy a robust military force in 14 days.