Over the last two decades, Africa has built up a peace and security architecture that is supposed to enable it to deal with conflicts on its own rather than relying exclusively on external decision-making and intervention. However, the continent has witnessed growing external involvement in conflicts in North Africa and the Sahel, coups in West Africa and an insurgency in northern Mozambique. Africa’s peace and security architecture and the principles set out in the AU’s Constitutive Act are being challenged. The principles upon which the African Union was founded were the inviolability of national borders, territorial integrity and sovereignty and peaceful resolution of disputes. These African norms exist within an overarching global security framework articulated in the UN Charter and based on the premise of multilateralism and diplomacy. Over the years, the AU has sought a better inter-relationship between itself and the UN’s Security Council in dealing with conflicts in Africa, but as the multilateral security system comes under increasing strain this may impact Africa’s security, too. This workshop intends to discuss the following questions:
- Are Africa’s current instruments and institutions appropriate to deal with regional security challenges?
- What would be necessary to strengthen democratic resilience/prevent coups?
- What can we expect from the newly elected Peace and Security Council, which includes South Africa?
- What opportunities present themselves at the sub-regional level to deal effectively with challenges to peace and security?
- What do security developments in Europe mean for the international peace and security architecture?
- What actions should African states and institutions take in international forums regarding threats to international peace and security? What partnerships might help in this regard?
Panellists:
- Mamadou Sow, head of ICRC, South Africa office
- Yacoob Abba Omar, MISTRA
- Sanusha Naidu, Senior Research Associate ,IGD
- Priyal Singh, Researcher, ISS
- Moderated by Elizabeth Sidiropoulos, SAIIA